Painting Persians

[Colonel Kilgore]

You raise an interesting point, Andy.

I've looked this up, and it seems that the Montvert book that we all seem to like was first published on 1st August 1992. Rick Scollins was a great, and seemingly prolific, military artist - you are lucky to have known him.

Nicholas Sekunda's Osprey Elite book was illustrated by Simon Chew. It was first published (and the ilustrations are each dated to)... ... 1992!

Simon

[martin goddard]

You were privileged Andy.
All I read about Richard is very positive.
At least we have his pictures.


martin

[Panzer21]

You raise an interesting point, Andy.

I've looked this up, and it seems that the Montvert book that we all seem to like was first published on 1st August 1992. Rick Scollins was a great, and seemingly prolific, military artist - you are lucky to have known him.

Nicholas Sekunda's Osprey Elite book was illustrated by Simon Chew. It was first published (and the ilustrations are each dated to)... ... 1992!

Simon

It's true the published secondary sources are a bit dated. The most recent is the pen and sword book with re-inactors.

They all rely on a few sources. Written descriptions from Greek writers, the Alexander Mosaic - a Roman copy of a Greek / Hellenistic painting; x-ray analysis of the Alexander Sarcophagus; a wall painting of a slinger; any remaining paint analysis from Persian frescoes.
This is supplemented by Iranian tradition - things like the anniversary parade based on Persian sources.

Duncan Head covers this in both Armies of the Macedonian & Punic Wars and the Montvert Persian book.

The Osprey is by Nick Secunda; he covers the known Persian colours in some detail.
Unfortunately, he has a tendency to run away with limited source material and reach significantly different conclusions from others in the same field - hence his thesis that the Hellenistic kingdoms wholesale transformed their armies into Roman copies, abandoning any previous ideas and equipment.

Hence the purple and yellow. True purple was produced from decomposing Murex snails. It was expensive, and thus became the preserve of royalty. When Alexander looted the Persian treasuries, large quantities of bales of purple cloth were found along with gold and other precious items.
A substitute purple can be obtained from woad and madder.

Yellow - vibrant yellow is produced from saffron - the stamens of the Crocus flower.
Another source of yellow is urine ☺ also used as a universal dye fixident.

Ancient Persian tradition gives red, blue and white as the three estates of nobility, commoners and peasantry - the royal diadem supposedly contains all three showing the kings dominion over all.

The Alexander Mosaic is particularly useful. The picture of Darius corresponds very closely to Xenophon's description of the Persian king (either Anabasis or Cyropedia) suggesting not only that the mosaic is accurate, but that Royal dress was fairly universal (they span a long time period).

In the Anabasis, Cyrus' nobles are described as wearing "rich" clothing with scarlet / red mentioned.

None of the guards in the Alexander mosaic wear uniform apart from yellow caps. Red, yellow, greys and browns and a hint of green are visible. There's suggestions some of the greys may have been purple or mauve.
The picture of a slinger has green and white (cap).
The Alexander Sarcophagus suggests red, blue, yellow and white:

https://www.ancientworldmagazine.com/articles/the-alexander-sarcophagus/

Lower classes / peasants (skirmishers and levies) probably undyed cloth - creams, off-white, browns, greys blacks + greens from vegetable dyes.

Pure white was associated with religious purity / magi - some suggest Artaxerxes adopted this colour at Cunaxa - legitimacy?

Neil

[Colonel Kilgore]

Thanks for pulling this summary into one post, Neil.

I particularly like the photo of the coloured reconstruction of the Alexander Sarcophogus. While the colours may be a tad bright, I reckon I could just about manage a broad stripe at the base of a top (easier than the myriad of diamond shapes on other illustrations!).

Simon

[Panzer21]

Thanks for pulling this summary into one post, Neil.

I particularly like the photo of the coloured reconstruction of the Alexander Sarcophogus. While the colours may be a tad bright, I reckon I could just about manage a broad stripe at the base of a top (easier than the myriad of diamond shapes on other illustrations!).

Simon

Welcome - this is good for the Alexander Mosaic - has close ups:

https://www.cabinet.ox.ac.uk/alexander-mosaic-0#/media=6286

Neil