Femina Indica Africana, Arabs, Virgo Arabs

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 African Indian woman, an Arab, and an Arabic girl. On the left, the African Indian woman wears high-waisted, shorts trimmed at the waist and legs with strips of ovals, and with two strips of beads hanging at the hips. Her feet are bare, with stripes drawn around them, and her calves are covered with layers of beads and ovals. Her breasts are bare, framed by the belt of the shorts and a necklace of oval shapes and two strips of beads. A matching bracelet with a strip of ovals and two strips of pearls decorates her right wrist, and an armband of ovals decorates her right arm. Her head is covered with a headband made up of two strips of pearls from which hangs a strip of scallops and flanked above by a palmette; from it hangs a short veil (?) that covers her hair and neck. A thin sort of cape hangs behind her back and around her arms.

On the center, the Arab wears a hip-length robe with short bell sleeves, fastened with small, round buttons down the chest, and a fabric belt tied around the waist, over wide hose and stockings. His hair is long and curled, partially covered by a fur hat without brim, which frames his bearded face. He carries a sword on his right hip, and holds a bow under his right arm and an arrow in his left hand. His shoes are flat and with pointed toes.

On the right, the Arabic girl wears an asymmetrical fur skirt over a long, draped skirt, with her breasts uncovered. She wears a pearl necklace and a matching bracelet on each wrist; an armband of squared motifs adorns her left arm. Her hair is long and braided, loose under her hat. She wears pendant pearl earrings. Her feet are bare, adorned with thin horizontal stripes.