Can anyone tell me who these monk-like figures are on 80s Ferragamo necktie?
- Thread starter Jen S
- Start date
Thank you!
Better Dresses Vintage
Alumni
I think I recently saw some sort of documentary that included monks with this particular hairstyle -- shaved except for a little forelock and a ponytail. Now, for the life of me, I cannot find any information. These guys have pants. And pointy shoes. Buddhist monks wear those long, drape-y, flowy orange robes (which probably have pants beneath, but who knows). Hare Krishnas do wear pants, but not polka dotted ones, and not with pointy shoes, and they don't have a forelock. Maybe this is just the designer's idea of what a monk should look like? Artistic license, or what have you.
They look a bit like Shaolin Monks (the ones who do martial arts), but Shaolin Monks don't have that forelock thing as far I know. The colours they are wearing are those of the Buddhist or Hindu ascetic, but the faces look far Eastern rather than Indian so Hindu is less likely (Hare Krishna is based in Hinduism). Shaolin monks are buddhist.
So they are some form of Buddhist. To me they look like they are doing stick fighting poses, but holding flowering branches instead of sticks.
It could be artistic license, as Liza says. If they are anything more specific, that forelock will be the clue, but I can't find any reference to it either. And yet it's familiar.
It's a really really great print.
So they are some form of Buddhist. To me they look like they are doing stick fighting poses, but holding flowering branches instead of sticks.
It could be artistic license, as Liza says. If they are anything more specific, that forelock will be the clue, but I can't find any reference to it either. And yet it's familiar.
It's a really really great print.
EndlessAlley
Alumni
Another idea to consider are Samurai Warriors. Many images of Samurai show the "little skirt" armor going over pants as well as shaved heads with top knots. Wall Street Warriors?