Faemina Indica Orientalis, Indus Orientalis, Indus Africanus

Engraving, part of 'Habitus variarum orbis gentium' (Costumes of the various peoples of the world), representing the costumes of men and women from various parts of the world, engraved after designs by Boissard and published by Rutz in 1581.

This engraving represents an East Indian woman, an East Indian man, and an African Indian man. On the left, the East Indian woman wears a draped robe with long, bell sleeves, tied around the waist with a fabric belt with fringed edges. Her hair is long and braided, topped by a brim-less layered hat. Her feet are shod with espadrilles. She holds branches with stylized exotic flowers on her hands.

On the center, the East Indian man wears a layered skirt with scallops on the belt and vertical stripes of fabric, with two horizontal stripes with semi-abstract geometric scrolls, with strips of overlapping coins on the edge, and tied around the waist with a fabric belt with fringed edges. His legs are covered with strips of fabric of similar design to his skirt under the knees, and he wears strapped sandals. His head is covered with a layered hat, flanked at the top with a bundle of feathers, and with hanging strips of overlapping coins. A cape hangs behind his back, with a semi-abstract pattern of scrolling motifs on the border and fringed edges. He carries a bow around his neck and a couple of arrows on his right hand.

On the right, the African Indian wears a skirt made up of layers of feathers or scales (?), tied around the waist with a large fabric waistband. His calves are covered with similar layered feathers or scales, and matching armcuffs are below his shoulders. He wears closed shoes with pointed toes and a feather hat on his head, with a strip of roundels around the head. His hair is long and curled, and he has a full beard. He carries a quivel of arrows and bow behind his back, tied to a belt diagonally across his chest, and a lance on his right hand.