08/26/2026
I saw my Palla in a museum!!! While we were visiting the Lourve we toured the ancient wing. I was walking along when I stopped and said to myself “I have that in my closet!”
The section was titled:
GREEKS IN EGYPT AND LIBYA
THE KINGDOM OF THE LAGIDS
FROM 305 TO 31 BC
FUNERARY MONUMENTS
The museum text panel about the exact monuments I was looking at said-
Fragments of loculus slabs:
seated woman and standing young boy;
standing woman
Cement made from lime mixed with fine sand
Epitaph (funerary inscription):
‘Arsinoe, Trebemis, farewell’
Now, I used this fabric as a Palla to go with my Roman ensemble. And these artifacts are Greek. But the Roman Palla and the Greek Himation are nearly identical and function exactly the same. They are both large unsewn rectangles of fabric that drape around the body.
I believe the fabric I’m using was originally created as a sari, which is also a large unsewn rectangle that is draped around the body.
It is really interesting to see the similarities and differences between these garments and cultures.
I was just so exited to see something so close to what I use for historical costuming appear in front of me at a museum. I didn’t research this piece, or use it as a reference image, it just found me.
I’m really happy that all of my researching has allowed me to have a “historical eye” so to speak, that without having exact references, I’ve seen enough to have a feel for what could be, what colors and styles and drapes would have been fashionable.
Have you ever had an artifact find you at a museum?
