The Prostitute and Her Headdress

This book documents the complex headdress iconography
of Attic Red-figure vase-painting dated ca. 550-450
BCE. The findings demonstrate that more depictions of
prostitutes than wives, or any other female figures,
were portrayed wearing the mitra (turban), sakkos
(hair-sack) and kekryphalos (hair-net). The study,
based on 230 fully catalogued and thoroughly analyzed
images, leads to a conclusion that these headdresses
were prostitutes common attributes and social
markers. The study further shows that, besides
wearing them, the prostitutes were also involved in
manufacturing the textiles and producing the
headdresses on small sprang hand frames chosen for
their practicality, convenience and low cost. The
book provides much-needed data for identifying
prostitutes, as their personal histories were not
clearly documented; still today, not much is known
about these women. The aim of this study is to offer
an answer to this problem. This work represents a
valuable contribution to the existing scholarship
with hope that it will lead to further understanding
of the history of prostitution as well as ancient
women in general.

Autorentext

Marina Fischer, MA, studied history of art, classics and ancienthistory at the University of Calgary, Canada. Her research andinterests focus on art, gender studies, ancient sexuality,Aphrodite cult and prostitution. At present, she works as ImageSpecialist at the University of Calgary.

Klappentext

This book documents the complex headdress iconography
of Attic Red-figure vase-painting dated ca. 550-450
BCE. The findings demonstrate that more depictions of
prostitutes than wives, or any other female figures,
were portrayed wearing the mitra (turban), sakkos
(hair-sack) and kekryphalos (hair-net). The study,
based on 230 fully catalogued and thoroughly analyzed
images, leads to a conclusion that these headdresses
were prostitutes' common attributes and social
markers. The study further shows that, besides
wearing them, the prostitutes were also involved in
manufacturing the textiles and producing the
headdresses on small sprang hand frames chosen for
their practicality, convenience and low cost. The
book provides much-needed data for identifying
prostitutes, as their personal histories were not
clearly documented; still today, not much is known
about these women. The aim of this study is to offer
an answer to this problem. This work represents a
valuable contribution to the existing scholarship
with hope that it will lead to further understanding
of the history of prostitution as well as ancient
women in general.