FAUSTINA'S TOILETTE,

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 236, 29 June 1908, Page 5

FAUSTINA'S TOILETTE,

In an illustrated article in a recent number of the " Ladies' Field " comparison is drawn between the toilet table of 2000 years ago and to-day. A series of photographs of articles exhibited at the Guildhall Museum go to provo that tho mysteries of tho toilet were very much the same then as now. There are illustrations of combs made of wood or bone, of razors, of tweezers, Roman needles, brooches, hairpins, and perfume bottles. We read that slaves, who had been specially instructed in the art of hairdressing, were kept by the' Roman ladies for this work alone; that tho hair was curled by means of a hollow ; rod of iron (the calamistrum) heated in a wood fire. Wo learn from Horace that wigs were-worn, and wo know, that both men and women dyed their hair when growing grey; that eyebrows wero ofton stained with antimony or a preparation from soot. Not only did the- women paint, but even the men beautified their complexions by aid of red paint and white lead. In the matter of tooth powders, the Romans were especially skilful, and they had a great variety of them, mostly composed of bones, hoofs and horns of certain animals, and oyster shells, all ground into fine powder. Manicuring was not unknown either, it being tho duty of the barber to paro and beautify tho nails. It is said, too, that the Roman lady did not despise adventitious aids to height, and though high-heeled shoes were unknown sho would slip pieces of cork in between her soles to add to her inches. Brooches wero very mucli used as ornaments, and it is said that their pins wero sometimes used as weapons of attack, and occasionally inflicted serious injuries, which has its parallel in tho use of the hatpin amongst certain classes.