Such necessary accessory as gloves appeared long ago. But gloves have never were considered old-fashioned during the whole history of their existence. One of the most ancient gloves was found in the tomb of Tutankhamen during the archeological examination carried out in 1922.
In the text of “The Odyssey” by Homer the readers may find the prove that the ancient slaves were wearing hard mittens during their work to protect the skin of their hands. According to the ancient Greek historical Xenophon who visited Mesopotamia the Persians wore the fur gloves to protect their hands from cold. Xenophon called them tenderfoots though the warriors of his native land used to wrap leather stripes round their hands to prevent injuries.
Gloves became really popular among the ancient Romans. They used to wear gloves not only while fulfilling hard work or during the cold and windy weather but also during the meals. There were no knives or forks in that epoch so it was easy to burn or splotch the fingers. The tradition to protect the hand skin during the meal was still wide-spread during the Middle Ages, but the noble ladies and gentlemen wore finger stalls instead of gloves.
The Slavic tribes used the long sleeves of their garments to cover the hands instead of gloves.
Gradually gloves ceased to be the sign of poverty and were appreciated and accepted as the indispensable accessory by the aristocracy. In the sixth century gloves became the attribute of religious ceremonies. During laying of the hands the Pope was to give a pair of white gloves symbolizing purification.
During the sixteenth century the whole set of rules connected with wearing gloves was formed in Spain. The secret messages and bitter insults could be expressed with the help of a glove. But the great number of etiquette prohibitions made the Spaniards carry their gloves stuck behind their belt.
