Robes off the right shoulder (was barring the ...)

Vidhyanath K. Rao vidynath at math.ohio-state.edu
Fri Oct 4 02:53:09 UTC 1996


The statement that the mode of wearing a piece of cloth over the left
shoulder and under the right shoulder should be traced to the
Indus Valley civilization because a statue with such a depiction was
found there troubles me. If X is found in IVS and X is found in latter
India, does that mean the line of transmission is from IVS to latter
India?

For example, if we find that women are depicted carrying babies on
the left in IVS and since it is the dominant mode of carrying babies
today, does that imply the influnece is from IVS to modern day India,
not due to some common feature that is not even neccessarily cultural?

To get back on topic, how wide spread is this mode of wearing a
piece of cloth, either on the bare body, or on another piece of
clothing? If memeory serves right, both Roman (toga?) and the
Scots wore some piece of cloth over the left and under the right.
How did this travel from IVS to Rome and Scotland?

-Nath









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