Herald of Steel

Chapter 1386 Re-visiting the Southern District (Part-2)

For the common people of Adhania, both men and women, the fashion during summer was to wear loose, baggy, clothes that were both comfortable and utilitarian.

Temperatures could reach peaks of nearly 40 degrees Celsius during the day during the season, so staying cool and well ventilated was crucial.

This 'flowing' style was also a result of people wanting to save on costs- by keeping the style and stitching simple, there was not so much cutting and fitting, and thus much less wastage of clothes.

If anyone has ordered a tailored suit will know exactly how expensive it can be compared to a regular store bought one.

As a matter of fact, ready made clothes, like the ones we find available in the supermarkets, and made to fit us reasonably well is a very, very modern concept that only started roughly 200 years ago.

And even then, there are many underdeveloped parts of the world, where to get a good pair of shirts and pants it was still best to order.

...

Then, alongside the groceries and clothes shops, there were many artisan shops, selling various everyday necessary items.

The largest among them were potters, selling cooking pots, intricate jugs, beautiful bowls, and exotic jars, meant for storing and preparing food, as well as just simple showpieces.

All of these products were of various shapes and sizes and differed greatly in quality, ranging from simple regional variants just painted a single color- red, to imports of exceptional standards made by expert hands using the best clay.

These pieces would be carved with intricate geometric patterns or pictures and painted with magnificent colors, then glazed to perfection i.e.- coated with a liquid suspension of finely ground minerals and fired in a kiln, giving the surface a smooth and shiny finish.

Once finished, each of these extraordinary pieces could go anywhere from a few hundred to even a few thousand ropals if they caught the eyes of a truly discerning customer.

Thus only the likes of super rich merchants and nobles like Alexander had even the guts to look at these high end products displayed so prominently on tall, wooden shelves,- described in vibrant colors of black, gold, blue, green, and purple and being regularly dusted to remove any dirt by many of the attending servants.

.....

Potters were the most populous of the artisan profession- a result of the high demand for all types of earthen vessels and the profession's low barriers to entry- all you needed was some clay and a potter's wheel.

Following them came the carpenters, selling furniture and well cut and cured timber for building homes.

But once again like with the clothes, any of it was hardly ever ready made.

People usually had to go to the shops and give the man details of the dimensions of the timber, bed, shelves, door, chairs, wardrobes, etc. he would like to have made.

Or perhaps, if the client was well known, a carpenter would send his apprentice to his house and take the measurements directly, making sure the intended furniture fit in the designated space.

And once the order was completed, it would be delivered by cart or the client be asked to pick it up himself, bringing a cart himself.

...

Carpenters lived side by side with blacksmiths, who were disproportionately numerous in Zanzan due to its unique situation.

They were very large and ornate shops no doubt, entirely made of marble and onyx, with one being owned by a rich noble and the other by the richest commoner in the city. The latter was very rich even in Pasha Muazz's times.

And these two almost exclusively served the rich and wealthy, as most commoners were too poor to even dare to step inside those oak doors.

If the ordinary populace wanted something made, nine times out of ten, they would go to the gilders, who were also part goldsmiths.

The men were much cheaper and yet, fully capable of meeting the simple design expectations of the regular people.

Thus because their clientele was so small and specific there was simply no more market for any other.

But Alexander believed with Zanzan's increased trade and wealth, more such shops were inevitable.

For now though, one of the guards at the jewel shop owned by that rich commoner very enthusiastically greeted Alexander upon seeing him, cordially urging him to take a look inside.

And after walking for hours, Alexander thought he could take the man on his offer.

The insides of the place were basically designed like a temple- with huge open windows and enormous open flamed braziers hanging from the ceiling illuminating the place.

Black and white mosaic patterns dotted the floor and walls, but these patterns were not simply painted, that would have been too cheap.

Rather they were made using a combination of marble and onyx slotted against one another like a jigsaw puzzle, giving the whole thing a very 'robust' feeling.

This was combined with the luxurious red and gold tapestries draped on the walls and the life like artwork of landscapes like the Cisran Hills, the walls of Thesalie, and Zanzan docks, as well as various beautiful women wearing immaculately made jewelry, making Alexander half mumble, 'Heh, this is more lavish than my own house.'

Inside the huge ballroom like space, the actual jewelry was displayed on tables covered by red, velvet like curtains arranged in a semi circular arc, placed atop very shiny trays, thus letting the two greatly contrast each other.

The collection was naturally as varied as they were fine- necklaces, earrings, bangles, anklets, chains, bracelets, if you could name it, they had it.

Made of various purity of gold, silver and studded with all kinds of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, etc, the intricate and magnificent designs were sure to impress even the most picky of customers.

Common designs of the jewelry included animals such as eagles, doves, phoenixes, bears, tigers, lions, elephants, various religious symbols, and beautiful plants and flowers, which would be etched with intricate geometric or sometimes even nongeometric patterns.

Alexander was basically spoiled for choice.

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