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Villa Ercullia, Piazza Armerina Morgantina, Sicily 300 AD PAS300 Costume PAS300A (#A): Red bandeau, possibly with string straps, and a de roulè culotte, with pinwheel. PAS300B (#3): Horizontal striped bandeau and nombril brief or skirt. May also have navel decoration and holds a crown. PAS300C (#7): bandeau and v-kini brief. She wears a numeral 7 in her navel. PAS300A: TML. N-2. PAS300B: TML. N-2. Armpit. PAS300C: TML. N-3. Actions These Ten Maidens are clad in bikinis and exercise at the edge of a bathing pool (1). Exercise girl Letter A holds a pinsheel (2). Roman girl Number Three carries a branch with leaves (3). Number Seven exercises with barbell weights (4). These bather-athletes focus on consciousness-raising and body-fitness and anticipate the current era, with an erotic blend of glamor and health. Commentary The "Chamber of the Ten Maidens" is at the Imperial Villa, Piazza Armerina, in central Sicily. It was probably built by Maximianus I., who ruled jointly with Diocletian from 286 to 305 AD. Lawrence Langner writes, "bikini to bikini in 1500 years," and advises one to compare these to a Cole of California, 1958. The Piazza is also cited in the Osmund Caine controversy (OC3810). Source #1 from Louise Bernikow, "Gotta Have Gottex," Connoisseur, June 1988, p. 101, credit Scala, Art Resource, NY. #2 from M. I. Finley and D. Mack smith, "Sicily," Horizon, September, 1961, p. 30, photo credit Duncan Edwards-FPG. #3 from Lawrence Langner, The Importance of Wearing Clothes, Hastings House, New York, 1959. No credit. #4 from People Magazine, 1986. Photo by Andre Held. 4 pictures. |
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