VDM Fischer, M: The Prostitute and Her Headdress

This book documents the complex headdress iconography of Attic Red-figure vase-painting dated ca. 550-450 BCE. The findings demonstrate that more depictions of prostitutes than wives, or any other female figures, were portrayed wearing the mitra (turban), sakkos (hair-sack) and kekryphalos (hair-net). The study, based on 230 fully catalogued and thoroughly analyzed images, leads to a conclusion that these headdresses were prostitutes' common attributes and social markers. The study further shows that, besides wearing them, the prostitutes were also involved in manufacturing the textiles and producing the headdresses on small sprang hand frames chosen for their practicality, convenience and low cost. The book provides much-needed data for identifying prostitutes, as their personal histories were not clearly documented; still today, not much is known about these women. The aim of this study is to offer an answer to this problem. This work represents a valuable contribution to the existing scholarship with hope that it will lead to further understanding of the history of prostitution as well as ancient women in general.