Identifier: costumefancifulh00ariauoft (find matches)
Title: Costume: fanciful, historical, and theatrical
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Aria, Eliza (Davis) 1866-
Subjects: Costume
Publisher: London Macmillan
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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miraculous birth of the god, the incidents ofhis childhood, and his union with Isis. Finally,on the occasion of his death, his obsequies werecelebrated with dances of appropriate solemnity.But, alas ! these capers were not concerned withclothes, for the performers were unhampered bysartorial considerations, and the toilet of a femaledancer consisted of a narrow metal girdle aboutthe hips, the deep circular collar peculiar to therace, and a tambourine. Occasionally these itemswere supplemented by a transparent robe of thefinest white muslin, and the arrangement of thehair, or wig, was always elaborate. Framing theface, it rested on either shoulder in a dense massof plaits, the back hanging in a straight line ofthick braids just below the nape of the neck,while a gleaming metal fillet flashed low on theforehead. Male dancers contented themselves withserried skirts, in which they twirled with extendedarms, much after the manner of dervishes. Descendants of these ancient ballerinas are to
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AN EGYITIAN DANCER. XIX OF DANCING DRESSES 227 be found in Egypt to-day in the persons of theGhawazees. In common with most Orientaldancers, the Ghawazee takes up her position ona brightly coloured carpet. She is dressed in asleeveless corselet, brilliantly enamelled after thestyle of an Egytian sword-sheath, her only otherarticle oi attire being a simple muslin chemisevividly spotted and star-bespangled, while on herhead a kerchief of cloth of gold is draped inquaint manner. Her bare feet never move, thebody alone vibrating to the shrill music of fluteand cymbals. The play of the long supple armsis wonderful as they in turn caress and pursuean invisible being who eternally eludes theirpassionate embrace. To revert to the days when the Pyramids werethe newest thing in architecture, traces of thesacred dance of Apis are found in Biblical historywhere the prophets of Israel inaugurated thehabit of dancing round the golden calf; butunfortunately the costume is omitted from therecords, an

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