"Libyan Loin Cloth Color?" Topic

In doing research for painting my Libyan Egyptian army I have come across three different colors for the loin cloth these warriors wore. White, as if it were cotton or linen maybe, then in the Osprey New Kingdom Egypt book, plate F it shows two Libyans with the loin cloth in a medium blue color, while the text refers to it as a leather sheath. The in the art relief from Karnak it shows to be a reddish brown color, perhaps the leather? The art work is shown on page 50 of the Osprey book and in color at this link.

link

Does anyone have any information on the color of the loin cloth worn by Libyan troops?

Thanks,

Terry

Depends how scary the battle is ?

Of all the items of clothing, in all the armies of all time, I think you are probably safest in doing whatever you want with this one. The very concept of "uniform" loin cloths seems ridiculous. Live a little, use your imagination!

Mollinary

Dusty!

I agree with Mollinary. Do them in any shade from white through to leather-type brown. It will add variety…

There is an infrequent frequenter at our club who has an early Nubian army. He said that painting all of those skirmishing javelinmen was a nightmare until he realised that he could vary the loincloths, if little else. Kept him sane-ish, it did, at least until he finished the lot.

Actually, I would find it a joy to paint all that.

I mean, skin tone, woody stick colour, linen loincloth.

That's got to be the fastest DBA army to paint up ever.

Eric

Beadwork … animal skin cloaks, body adornments, head feathers … the chariot warrior (if that's the period envisaged) … there's quite a bit of variety to the Libyans but they do look splendid if nicely done.

Coloured versions of the Egyptian depictions show the phallus sheaths in blue and white, at least, yellow and blue for cloaks (nearly all with white/blue counter striped borders)

Of course, the Libyan Egyptian army is much more than just the tribal troops, potentially incorporating 'uniformed' Egyptian style regulars, Sea Peoples, cavalry and Pharaonic chariotry.

Doing a shoddy job on naked warriors is indeed a quick and simple job – but who would aim for that?

A very colourful choice, Terry: yellow, blue and white seemingly common in the Libyan pallet. Red (feathers?), traditionally perhaps more Egyptian …

Good luck (I look forward to photos )

Phil

Cotton was probably not available in Libya, so linen, wool, and leather are more likely fabric choices. They can take a lot of different natural dye colors, and wool can have interesting hair colors itself (not all sheep or goats are white).

Thank you all for the feed back, all is very helpful to me, my being so new to this period.

Phil, Your details are most helpful. From what I understand, the sheath could be blue, white, and I am guessing also a reddish shade from the one print I found and reference above. So I have to wonder, should the sheaths be a mixture of these various colors throughout the army (that is on the appropriate Libyan figures), or possibly uniform by element?

I have also found many depictions of the warp/cloak as being animal skin, vertical or horizontal bands or stripes. All of my references so far show the feathers in their hair to be white or white with a black tipped end. Are you saying red is also a possibility?

As for the army, I am using the DBA army list and will have Egyptian chariots, and also traditional New Kingdom looking Egyptian Bows and Blades (these are not as difficult to find uniform details for). The Psiloi will be a mix of elements of Libyans or Nubians (but not based on the same bases together). The former will have just the loin cloth and hair feathers, while the latter will have lion or tiger skin skirts (for lack of knowing what to call it). I am wanting as accurate a looking army as possible, which is why I am asking so many questions. I am gathering as many references as I can come by, and sadly what I think may be the best one – the old WRG book on the period is no longer in print and well above my hobby budget used!

Another question for this army – would it be proper to add a chariot runner to the chariot bases? If so, should he look Libyan or Egyptian?

Again my thanks to all and as I finish the army I will indeed share pictures. But I am a slow painter as it takes me about 6 months at least to do an army due to research and painting time.

Terry

Nubian animal skins seem commonly depicted as cheetah (at least, dark blotchy over pale base) rather than lion or tiger (wrong part of the world for Tigers, even in ancient times, I think) …

I doubt there would be any colour uniformity amongst the native looking Libyans.

Runners I would presume to be of the same peoples as the chariots they run before.

However, there isn't that much pictorial evidence I know for the armies of this period so our thinking tends to be a conflation of Libyan and Ramesside eividence.

My comment re red feathers is of that sort – somewhere in 'Armies of the Ancient Near East' it suggestes that a red ostrich feather was a sign of the military elite. But the reference is to much earlier than the Libyan dynasties.

Although figure makers always put them on (and we collectors love them) feathers are actually not that common in Ramesside depictions – though I'm sure the experts have an explanation for that.

Phil

I agree with Phils comments. Splashes of bright colour look great on biblicals.

Phil, just more great information! Thank you.

Colin, yes, I think it will be a nice look as well, but woudn't wnat to do it if it was going to be worng. I think the sterotype image is white, white and more white.

My Libyans will be a mix of sheath colors in ranges of blues, whites and reddish/leather browns.

Thanks for the great help!!!

Terry

I pqinted my Libyan leader with a reticulated Giraffe skin cloak, turned out fine.