A Cultural History of Hair in Antiquity (The Cultural Histories Series)

Hair, or lack of it, is one the most significant identifiers of individuals in any society. In Antiquity, the power of hair to send a series of social messages was no different. This volume covers nearly a thousand years of history, from Archaic Greece to the end of the Roman Empire, concentrating on what is now Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. Among the key issues identified by its authors is the recognition that in any given society male and female hair tend to be opposites (when male hair is generally short, women's is long); that hair is a marker of age and stage of life (children and young people have longer, less confined hairstyles; adult hair is far more controlled); hair can be used to identify the 'other' in terms of race and ethnicity but also those who stand outside social norms such as witches and mad women. The chapters in A Cultural History of Hair in Antiquity cover the following topics: religion and ritualized belief, self and society, fashion and adornment, production and practice, health and hygiene, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, class and social status, and cultural representations. The Enlightenment was the Golden Age of hair. Hair dominated fashion as never before or since, with more men and women than ever donning elaborate wigs and hairdos. Such unprecedentedly extravagant styling naturally increased the demand for professional hairdressers, who in turn created a new range of hair-care products and a new literature of hair-care advice. This volume offers a record of their marketing success, mindful that the ultimate product of this culture of consumption was the consumer. Literary and visual arts celebrated the ambitious coifs of the period, but they also lampooned the most fashionable in society. By exploring paintings, prints, plays, poems, novels, treatises, and advice manuals, the contributors to this volume show how hair in this period expanded beyond the fashionable and the superstitious, and became newly understood as material, inspiring empirical research and powering applications such as in the woollen goods industry. The essays in this volume--covering religion and ritualized Belief, self and society, fashion and adornment, production and practice, health and hygiene, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, class and social status, and cultural representations--explore hair's many meanings and its importance during the Enlightenment period A Cultural History of Hair presents an authoritative survey from ancient times to the present. This set of six volumes covers nearly 3,000 years of Hair and its physical, spiritual, social and cultural dimensions.01. A Cultural History of Hair in Antiquity (600 BCE - 800 CE)02. A Cultural History of Hair in the Medieval Age (800 - 1450)03. A Cultural History of Hair in the Renaissance (1450 - 1650)04. A Cultural History of Hair in the Age of Enlightenment (1650 - 1800)05. A Cultural History of Hair in the Age of Empire (1800 - 1920)06. A Cultural History of Hair in the Modern Age (1920 - 2000+)0Each volume discusses the same themes in its chapters: Religion and Ritualized Belief; Self and Society; Fashion and Adornment; Production and Practice; Health and Hygiene ; Gender and Sexuality; Race and Ethnicity; Class and Social Status; Cultural Representations. This structure allows readers to gain a broad overview of a period by reading one volume on its own, or to follow a theme through history by reading the relevant chapter in each volume. Superbly illustrated, the full six volume set combines to present the most authoritative and comprehensive survey available on Hair through history How have our attitudes to hair changed over time? In what ways have new technologies influenced hair-related practices and beliefs? Is hair just about fashion or does it express social, spiritual, and cultural meanings? In a work that spans nearly 3,000 years these ambitious questions are addressed by 60 experts, each contributing their overview of a theme applied to a period in history. With the help of a broad range of case material they illustrate trends and nuances of the culture of hair in Western societies from ancient times to the present. Volume editors ensure the cohesion of the whole, and to make the set as easy as possible to use, chapter titles are identical across each of the volumes. This gives the reader the choice to gain an overview of a period by reading one volume, or to follow a theme through history by reading the relevant chapter in each volume. Themes are: Religion and Ritualized Belief; Self and Society; Fashion and Adornment; Production and Practice; Health and Hygiene; Gender and Sexuality; Race and Ethnicity; Class and Social Status; and Cultural Representations Cover Contents List of Figures General Editor’s Preface Introduction 1 Religion and Ritualized Belief 2 Self and Society 3 Fashion and Adornment 4 Production and Practice 5 Health and Hygiene 6 Gender and Sexuality 7 Race and Ethnicity 8 Class and Social Status 9 Cultural Representations Notes Bibliography Contributors Index