An exotic blend of east and west, clothing styles in the Byzantine Empire were rich in color, fabric, and ornament. This carefully researched and scrupulously rendered coloring book by Tom Tierney features more than 80 Byzantine garments, as depicted in ancient mosaics and sculptures. Clothing styles from all classes are represented—from simple fourth-century tunics worn by early Christian commoners and the body armor of fifth-century Roman warriors to a pallium decorated with crosses worn by a priest of the tenth century, and the finely brocaded robes of Emperor Constantine. Here also are examples of royal wedding garb, heavily embroidered with jewels; a shepherd in a short tunic, long stockings, and leather boots; a court dancer wearing a brocaded silk gown with bell sleeves; as well as a lavishly attired court dignitary, a merchant, and a naval officer. Informative captions accompany each finely detailed illustration.
Author
Tom Tierney was a prolific creator of paper doll books. He was trained as an artist and worked as an illustrator for department stores before turning to paper dolls in the 1970s. "Meticulously drawn and colored, and annotated with historical information, Mr. Tierney’s paper-doll books are not just for children—and some are not for children at all. His aim, he often said, was to contribute to the visual literature of costume history," noted his New York Times obituary. "Pope John Paul II, shown a copy of Mr. Tierney’s book about him by a visitor to the Vatican, blessed it and asked where he might get one of his own."
