Girdles on a Model
The girdle in ancient times might have been used for shaping the waist of a female, but it was more often used in a totemic manner as a symbol over the site of fertility. The girdle of Aphrodite is and example of the potent power that was associated with girdles. For this reason girdles were often decorated with fertility symbols. Girdles are found in a number of shapes and sizes. A doll is used here to demonstrate various configurations: The first girdle is a wide band. This was used by the Minoan, Mycenaean, and Classic Greek civilizations:
This is the band from the back:
Aphrodite’s girdle is sometimes represented as crossed sashes:
An apron is a common form of the girdle:
This is a side view of the apron:>
This is the form of the Neolithic girdle:
This is the side view of the Neolithic girdle:
