PREHISTORIC PETTICOATS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 710, 8 January 1910, Page 13

PREHISTORIC PETTICOATS.

v -Sir; EaysLancaster, : ;.in . the.' London ."JDaily,; Megraphi'''jr drawsVattention; '.to the"painted? group of ten : human , figures 'lately:';discovercd .on'-a .rock' shelter at C'ogul,..near:Lorida;; in-.Catalonia, 'and just, now';.figured;, and.'.described: in tho. .adinirablo "'French : journal called ■■■'-'L'Anthropoldgio." " These '■ figure's. are those; of ■young women'dressed in short skirts and curious .' sleoves, • the::;hair; done up 'in; a conical'.mass' rising- from the sides to, tho .trip : of the head. hEnch figure'.is. about 'seyen, inches: Ijigh.'i';;-Th6.;gi;eat- interest abou> ;i .these. drawings.Vis that 'they': are probably; tens/of, thousands of years old, and; present.-to '•y'ourig:',wpmen; of the.reindeer qpqoh;.i.No pthe.r,-,such'paint-ing; of-: tho women of -this- period is :knowni : and: the astonishing. thing is CTiat, though theses-are "by no ..means fine specimens of prehistoric art,-yet: there is a definitely jnpdern;look:■ about;- the;; figures :and/ a freedom''of/•touoh'.aboutv". the -vdrawing ; : whiph makes-one ; think at the 'picture; is but ■'■ ole'yer; oketoh ■in silhouttb of a, number .'of- -'shortTskh'led schoolgirls .'at:'■ play. ; ' : :The.' ;'ex:. trem'ely.' small: and': elongated; f th'e' : . skirt, or petticoat,- whole of .tho figures ;.ap-pears.-tb .haye i_i floats orJ'jipk'et,>j''SV '.■■■■■. . ybmo. three 'yo'ats' ago. Dr'l' Arthur l -Evan6 : .'discovered in,the: 1 palaco,' ; bf i.tho ; ancient Kings."bf.S Crete; '.coloured'*.frescoes. 5000; or. .ftlCO.iyears' old, :reprospnting| inigreat de.tiiil "'elegant ■iyo«ng.-;wbmeri- with : : "groa,try ci)mprcssed ;waists,!; sboriglyi-.'pronbunced ;b'ustiei,- ;..ahd. ■olaborately .'.; ornamented .skirts.i.f Thqsb i' Cretan-pairitings . of..."prehistorid;■".youngi/Wqmerii'. .'both , ' ■' in : 'costiime ;'aifd.j|pps^;j.';arp^likei : 'no > thi.ng'>,sbymubb.'.''.as 'itho:j.portr(ii^!i of /distinguished.'ladies!.of .'the'jfashionable.Jworld .'of' ', by , ■ iUa 1 ijpaintei;; j Boldbni '. iii. ■.this":'-, year's Salon. 1 vlt ;is'.:'remarkable :that.-Dri;Efans' ahpnld^liayol'-'fqunft '.contemporary.;: paint-' ings ofvVbuhg'.la,dies'.:who ! lived ras'Jorig beforb..vHomor::as.Homer'lived , 'bofore us.' , 'And.it is still more, remarkable that those :y6ung7;ladios;.werb'''f6t up''iri'the."same 'style,'and apparently.:aimed'..ht-jriiuch'-.the jauieveifebts s; of•.;.liue : -Vaml'-'jnioyement, ! .as vtbos.K'whiph'-'. have ■v-bec'onie.;; i:the:.''latest ■;fashibn': : iii;rPiiris,','and;\may be/'described : as' : sinu9u's. :! aiid c 'sorp'entiilo.'- 'Npt-vorily ;.is;

:that;.t)iev'CßSe; ; ;bnt : 'gaiiiter-:of , /Knossps,'-; toej/'Minotaiir:;; city, ':andfM. : s?BbWom^:;ha^e;V:teperfencßd ; tnol ;same;. ; arHstip(.impr^sipD';JaDilSiayeS/pre-:; seated .inithbir; , pictures '- the;.'same'- ,'signi-, ,'of=thb'_nose:to,'tho;erids of the.;fingers and ~ *df^the; i to^thns';!rfly.ealin(;', . : a -■^mpa^'-imoMng;:.aMgffl;;?Op;'yeaTsV;!Kie: ■^mpa^'-imoMng;:.aMgffl;;?Op;'yeaTsV;!Kie: same: artistieiimpression'isUo , jw:'tfi'e"'Btill J earlier-'-paintings.of .'ithevwasp-' ;Waistcd;.;little ; ladies: of■■' ttiß'.Cogul 'rock shplfe.;iii,:Pafaloiiia)'[;!Bu(.'it isfitpn, por r : ;lmp3. : /pr.ly;V-thj i ;ia:.; type .'-of'; ihniqan'''"'feDiiilißr-to'7<l6yji-!'expi"6Bsed;;:v'>yitli-';BueK;'masterlyVsWU: by:Boldqni—may;.not :Dei'at. : _the;;baok';p{;:Jho ..mind , .of ;,a'portion, .'of'.thei.hurnan racj-rthat'i.vrhi!h'"'.pdpuldted- ! ■■wMt-. ! 'the'iMeoUteiTaaean/'.andi.'pfbbiibly : 'came ":there"; travelling '^.northward' .from■';. 'the ;denjM..\qfVAirica.' ! -v , y;;^v7 : '7.''-'' ,: .':i : '"J>'-;;-./:■'