Male

Ind. no. 30: Belt made of two pieces of linen, joined in the middle. The same composition of two facing birds with similar plumage, standing on the base of a tall fountain, is embroidered on both ends. The fountain standing between the birds, constitutes the central axis of the composition. A small, stylised bird is sitting on top of the fountain, accompanied by two other, similar birds, one under each larger bird. This central design is bordered on three sides by a wavy garland featuring flowers with colours alternating per pair, light blue and oil green. These colours also dominate the central composition, along with pink, pomegranate, beige, gold thread and metallic thread. The tight stitch gives the impression of fil tiré. The same design is found with minimal variations and a range of colours in belts from Bursa (Ther 1993, 212, 213).

Dimensions: Width 20-22 cm. Length: 196 cm.

Ind. no. 24: Long and narrow belt of two pieces of woven fabric joined in the middle, with embroidery at both ends. The depicted theme is a stylised tree with branches extending horizontally in two different levels on both sides of the trunk. Vertical, leafy branches extend  downwards in a herringbone pattern. They are repeated in a smaller size at the border that surrounds the tree on three sides. Empty spaces of the composition are filled with four small floral motifs. The ground from which the tree emerges is rendered with absolute stylisation. Soft, natural shades (brown, oil green) are combined with a little pink, light blue, and gold. A tree with a similar but less standardised arrangement of branches is found in a tsevres from Bursa (Ther 1993, 211).

Dimensions: 18-24 x 198 cm.

Ind. no. 23: Long and narrow belt made from two pieces of woven taisto fabric joined in the middle, and decorated with embroidery at both ends. Emerging from a disproportionately small vase is a vine with leaves and grapes, and with a large inclining flower at the top. The composition is surrounded on three sides by a similar vine with leaves and grapes. The pattern is entirely stylised and symmetrical, embroidered with a tight single stitch (misovelonia, half cross stitch, namely of one diagonal arm of a full cross stitch) that gives the impression of fil tiré. The colours of the decoration are vivid, in silk and gold.

Dimensions: 15/20 x 212 cm.

Inv. no. 284: Black vraka (breeches). It features the characteristic middle part, which is longer and made of rich fabric with many folds. This was called vakla (meaning the fat tail of the Cyprus sheep) and it was usually tucked inside the waist sash at the back and untucked when entering a church. The vraka was dyed by local craftsmen called poyiatzides (Papadimitriou 1991, 41). It is gathered at the waist, where a white cotton drawstring, the vrakozoni, passed through the hem using a wooden stick called vrakorehtis, is tied at the front.

Inv. no. 208: Traditional men's costume. It consists of a shirt worn under a vest, a vraka (breeches), a zostra (sash) worn around the waist, a headscarf and a pair of black podines (boots). The striped silk shirt is buttoned, with collar and cuffs. The breeches are black with many pleats and the zostra is black with red stripes and fringes at the ends. A black scarf is tied around the head. The knee-high podines are made of leather. Podines worn by villagers at work were hob-nailed, without distinction of left and right foot, in contrast to the more elegant frangopodines, which were common in the cities. The most prominent element of this costume is the richly decorated vest: it is made of black felt and closes crosswise at the front. The decoration here is made with black cords. A vase-shaped pocket of red fabric decorated with cord is sewn onto the right side and, further up the chest, there is a colourful, stylised floral pattern. Mat patterns made of cord run along the edges of the vest and along the central opening, extending vertically from the waist to the upper back. The top of the opening is decorated with an embroidered lozenge and leaves. The opening closes with a yellow lace that passes crosswise through corresponding holes, allowing for a better fit on the body. This type of vest, sometimes with more elaborate decoration of floral motifs and even birds and lions, was admired by travellers during the first years of British rule, and was also worn in the first decades of the 20th century. Many examples are preserved in museums and private collections and some have an embroidered date on their characteristic pocket.

ΜΓ184

Pair of man’s hobnailed peasant boots made of thick leather, outer side dyed black.

The boots are knee-high and heavy, without distinction of left and right foot.

Each boot consists of three pieces in the lower part, one at front, one on the side externally and one at the rear that covers the heel of the foot and extends sideways. Above the promouttin (nose), namely the front section, there is a tongue made of a separate piece of leather. The shaft consists of two sections joined vertically on the sides. All the different pieces have been sewn together with thick string. On either side of the joints holding together the two shaft sections, there is machine stitching. At the top of the boots, the leather is turned outwards (height: 3 cm), forming a tongue at front (height: 6 cm). On one boot, in the upper part, there is sewing with string, evidently for mending torn leather.

The soles consist of superposed sole leathers, more numerous at the rear where low heels are formed. Large, flat-headed iron nails called rizes (=roots), have been inserted into the soles all around, while a row of round-headed hobnails extends to the centre. A total of 24 rizes and 6 hobnails survive in one boot, with 25 rizes and 9 hobnails in the other. Along the joint of the leather to the sole, small metallic nails (spondilia) have been inserted. The wide heads of the rizes are turned upwards, covering the rim of the sole.

A decorative element, namely an interlaced curvilinear pattern made with fine machine stitches, is discerned all around the bottom section of one boot. Curvilinear machine stitching is discerned in the front section of the other boot.

The boots are worn from use. Even the black dye, that used to cover the entire outer surface, has faded.

As opposed to cordwainer’s boots (skarparisimes podines, see ΜΓ 55, ΧΑΜ) the less elaborate but more resilient hobnailed peasant boots were made by tsagkari(d)es, namely specialised bootmakers, without distinction of left and right foot, for use by farmers and shepherds. Normally, the leather used for hobnailed peasant boots came from the hide of a two-year-old male goat (dietis).

Boot height: 44-45 cm.

Sole length: 27.5 cm.

Date of entry to the Collection: 2.9.1979

Provenance: Theletra, Pafos – Purchase by Nikolaos Stylianou.

ΜΓ 302

A man’s double-breasted vest made of maroon and black velvet.

The front consists of a panel of maroon velvet on either side of the breast. Each of the two front panels is joined on the side to an oblong piece of black velvet. The back, also of black velvet, appears as a single piece, with a slit lengthwise at the centre, from the waist until high up on the back (opening height: 28.5 cm).

The vest closes on either side, with two oblique rows of eight buttons fixed to a black braided cord, sewn-on inside. The buttons have a beige fabric core and a lining of black cord. The long loops to which the buttons are fixed are joined at the base by an oblique band of fine, black double cord forming a double row of lozenges (net pattern). Rows of cords, combined with braids, also frame the oblong buttonholes. The arched tops of five buttonholes are crowned by a decorative pattern in spiral formations. The oblong opening of the buttonholes allowed the buttons to move, offering ease of movement. Such comfort was necessary, given that the vests were worn as festive garments and for dancing.

Along the neck opening extend rows of braids and black cords that follow the contour and continue until the bottom edge of the front panels of the vest. In the lower part of the neck opening, between the rows of cords, a fine band includes consecutive spirals, exposing the red velvet of the base. Further down, there develops a dense mat pattern with a curvilinear end in the lower part, which is defined by parallel rows of cords and spiral motifs. On the contour of the neckline couched decoration, numerous stitches of light-coloured thread are discernible, fixing the decoration to the fabric.

On the right side of the breast, beneath the decoration of the neck opening, there is a geometrical design, formed of yellow and light-blue twisted cords. The central pattern is rectangular, filled with blue braid, over which a triangular design is formed, empty on the inside. Lower, a lozenge with mat filling extends to the lower part with smaller spirals and a tiny lozenge between them. Further down on the same side, a vase-shaped pocket is trimmed with rows of twisted cords of brown-yellow and light-blue, as well as a brown/black braid. The ends of the brown-yellow cords are projected hook-shaped in the upper extremities, whereas in the lower part they open up to form a tassel. At the centre of the pocket, there extends a horizontal decorative design of two parallel cords, one yellow and one light-blue, that form two zig-zag lines with small loops on the corners, above and below a horizontal line. The pocket is placed above the seam of the vest on the side. The armholes and the side seams are accentuated by brown/black braid and one or two twisted cords of brown-yellow.

On the back of the vest, a ribbon of red fabric criss-crosses through fourteen holes with metallic eyelets, facing each other on either side of the vertical opening. The opening is trimmed with brown braid and a twisted brown-yellow cord, whereas on the inside of the metallic eyelets, a double cord, light blue and twisted brown-yellow, repeats the shape of the opening. Innermost zig-zag lines formed with light blue and yellow cord, with small loops on the tops, continue along the edges of the back and extend to the side. On the front, on the red velvet, a zig-zag line of black cord continues to the lower edges above rows of cords. The curve of the contour at the base of the neck opening is decorated externally with a sewn-on row of dense loops, also of black cord. Over the opening of the back, there is a symmetrical decorative design with a lozenge at the centre and oval shapes above and below. At the base of the design, on either side above the top of the opening, there are two leaf-shaped patterns. The border of the design is formed with yellow and light blue cord, whereas the inside of the patterns is covered by rows of coloured twisted threads in green, yellow and red. On the inside of the lozenge, twisted cords in red form a mat pattern, through which a double cord in light blue runs horizontally.

The inside of the vest is covered by beige cotton lining, hand-sewn. Along the perimeter of the neck opening, there extends a reinforcing band of fabric with pink and green stripes, hand-sewn with black thread. Further down, the bias-cut opening of the breast is reinforced internally on both sides with a piece of black velvet.

Height: 42 cm.

Width: 24 cm on the shoulders, 40 cm at the armpits, 34 cm at the waist.

Date of entry to the Collection 13.9.1980

Provenance: Polemi, Pafos – Purchased from Ι. Theodosiou.

[ΜΓ 55]

Pair of man’s knee-high leather boots.

The lower part consists of two pieces. The front piece (promouttin) has a rounded toe box and extends to a tongue at the instep. It is joined at the sides to the back piece, covering the heel of the foot. A third piece forms the shaft, reaching below the knee. The different pieces have been joined with rows of machine stitches. Βrown leather lining, discerned on the inside, is also sewn with machine stitches. At the back of the shaft there is a backstay, namely an additional sewn-on vertical strip, joined to the protruding tongue of the back piece that covers the heel of the foot. On the inside of the backstay, the joint of the single piece that forms the shaft is discernible, made with a handmade seam of parallel thick-thread stitches. This joint is framed by double machine stitching, intended to secure the added backstay. At the upper part of the boots, around the edge, there is a small hem, sewn with machine stitches. Below the middle of the shaft there are two parallel horizonal decorative bands, also of machine stitches. Near the upper part of the boots two opposite-facing pull straps are made of wide black textile bands, with single brown stripes along their edges.

The sole, normally made of ox hide, is thick, comprising two layers of leather and slightly protruding all around. Machine stitches are visible along the welt. The low heel, 1.9 cm tall, is built with three superposed layers of leather and rests on a separate cap, secured with a double row of small nails (spondilia).

This is a pair of well-made Frankish boots (Frankopodines) crafted by a cordwainer (skarparis). Cordwainer boots were normally worn in the urban centres and the countryside on official and festive occasions.

Boot height: 41 cm.

Sole length: 29 cm.

Date of entry to the Collection: 14.9.1949

Provenance: Ktima, Pafos.

ΜΓ 45

A man’s double-breasted vest made of black and maroon velvet.

The front of the vest consists of two panels of maroon velvet on either side of the breast, one of which, high on the shoulder, is small. Beneath each armpit, a triangular panel of black velvet has been added, whereas the back is formed as a single piece, also of black velvet.

The vest closes on either side, with two oblique rows of eight spherical buttons, fixed from the inside to a thick braided cord, also placed obliquely. The handmade buttons, of black cord around an off-white fabric core, suspend from the ends of long braided loops to allow ease of movement. The loops of the buttons project through a double row of lozenges made with couched black cords. Buttonholes with an oblong opening correspond to the buttons, also for ease of movement. They are defined by rows of cords and terminate at a row of spirals where there is available room.

The deep and wide oval opening at the breast is trimmed with rows of black cords or also braids, which extend to the horizontal bottom edge of the vest. In the lower part of the opening, black cords also form a mat design in repetitive curved lines, as well as spirals in different combinations. Further down, the right side of the breast has a decorative element made of colourful cords. The central rectangular pattern is outlined by rows of cords in yellow and orange, and is filled with blue cords forming a dense braid. Above and below, spirals of cords in green, red and orange are formed. The selvedge of the two front panels of the velvet fabric, in yellow, brown, green and orange, appears at the vertical joints with the black velvet side panels.

On the right side of the vest, part of the selvedge and the velvet fabrics on either side is covered by a sewn-on vase-shaped pocket of worn green velvet. The outline of the pocket is trimmed with rows of green and multicoloured cords with hook-shaped opposite-facing ends at the uppermost edges. In the lower part of the pocket, the open ends of the cords form a tassel. The surface of the pocket, within a frame of double cord, blue and multicoloured, is decorated with a schematized floral pattern, composed in the upper part by a heart with a double border and in the lower part by pairs of opposite-facing leaves. Four spirals are formed in the upper part of the heart. The pattern is made of silver-coloured metal-wrapped cord.

The armholes are framed by multicoloured and black cords that also run along the shoulders and the back of the neck. The bias-cut opening of the vest, from the breast to the lower side, is defined externally by kamaroues, small arches of thick black cord. Lower, the curve of the opposite-facing corners at the base of the opening of the vest has, externally, a sewn-on row of dense taller arches, also of black cord. The bottom edge of the front panels is decorated lengthwise, above the rows of black cords, with consecutive lozenges, also of black cord, terminating at spirals on their tops.

On the back side of the vest, a vertical opening extends from the waist up high on the back (height: 21.5 cm). Along the perimeter of the opening, thirteen holes with circular metallic eyelets are formed, through which a ribbon would pass, meant to be fastened in the lower part. The opening is trimmed with two rows of double cords, blue and multicouloured. Further inside, it is flanked by three interlaced rows of lozenges, formed by double cords of green and orange. Along the inner side of the pattern there extends a red cord, forming spirals at the tops of the inner row of lozenges. This decoration extends along the bottom edge of the vest. In the upper part of the vertical opening, a schematized floral pattern is composed of a lozenge at the centre, two superposed oval patterns in the upper part, and in the lower part, symmetrical leaf-shaped elements on either side of the oval shape. The outlines are formed by orange, blue and multicouloured cords, whereas the oval and leaf-shaped elements are filled with rows of green and red cords. Blue cords form a mat pattern that covers the inside of the lozenge. The entire couched decoration of the vest is fixed at various points with widely distanced handmade stitches in colours that parallel those of the patterns.

On the inside, the vest is lined with white-beige cotton fabric. Near the opening of one arm, the selvedge of the lining is discernible with coloured stripes in yellow, green and blue. Along the neck opening, there extends a reinforcing band of fabric with burgundy, red, blue, yellow and multicoloured stripes, hand-sewn with black thread. Lower, the bias-cut opening of the breast is reinforced on the inside on both sides with a piece of black velvet. The imprint of a blank-ink-stamp may be discerned on the lining. It includes an unintelligible inscription in three rows within an oval frame. Tentatively, the word YFASMATON [of fabrics] may be discerned in the upper row, and LEFKOSIA [Nicosia] in the lower row.

Height: 43 cm.

Width: 25 cm on the shoulders, 45 cm at the armpits, 37.5 cm at the waist.

Date of entry to the Collection: 13.12.1948

Provenance: Kelokedara, Pafos – Purchase.

ΜΓ 21

A man’s double-breasted vest, made of black felt and velvet.

The front consists of two panels of felt and an oblong, trapezoid panel of velvet on each side. The back is formed by a single piece of velvet. The joints of the front panels to the sides are covered by brown/black braid, framed by two cords of twisted threads in various colours (yellow, red and brown/black). Similar finish is discernible on the armholes and also on the bottom edge of the back and side panels. Rows of braids adorn the contour of the neckline and the front felt panels. Low consecutive freestanding arches of fine black cord extend along the bias-cut opening with tiny loops in-between. Much denser, consecutive loops are formed in the lower section of the bias-cut opening, and continue for a short length along the bottom horizontal edge.

The vest has a deep oval opening at the breast. Each front felt panel has at the diagonal end an oblique row of seven buttonholes and, on a second oblique row, on the inside, seven black spherical buttons of beige fabric core, lined with fine and twisted black silk cords. All buttonholes are defined by a braid on the inside and two cords on the outside. Small tassels are created on the free ends of the cords. The buttons are fixed to a thick, beige braided cord, sewn at intervals with black thread on the inside of the vest.

In the upper section of the breast panels (at the opening of the neck) the vest is adorned with dense, curvilinear couched embroidery of black cords (double twisted thread) in elaborate designs that give the impression of knit construction. The mat pattern is edged with rows of cords that follow the shape of the contour. On the upper side, between the rows of cords, a strip of running spirals is interjected.

Lower, on the right side of the breast, a decorative pattern is formed with twisted cords in green, orange, burgundy and blue. It consists of a rectangular pattern at the centre, framed above and below by small vertical and horizontal spirals. Further down, a vase-shaped pocket may be discerned (height: 10 cm, width: 8.5 cm), the upper part of which is made of green felt and the lower part of black velvet. The pocket is trimmed with brown/black braid, framed on each side by a twisted cord of orange, brown/black and yellow threads. In the upper part of the pocket, the cords extend to hook-shaped projections. A braid and cords of the same type form a horizontal division that separates the upper part of the pocket from the lower part. Above and below the division, a thicker twisted cord forms a zig-zag line with small loops on the tops. The pointed end in the lower part of the pocket is joined with the side seam to which the pocket is sewn.

On the back, at a height of 21 cm, a vertical opening is formed. It is fastened with thick cord, which criss-crosses through metallic eyelets and is fastened in the lower part. The cord terminates at spherical elements, identical to the buttons. The vertical opening and its readjustment with the use of the cord allows better fitting of the garment to the body. The bottom edge of the back and the entire opening are trimmed with fine cords, orange and green, that interlace to shape consecutive lozenges with spiral patterns on their tops. The ornament rests on two rows of double cord, one multi-coloured (green [?], orange and yellow), and the other light blue. At the top of the vertical opening there rests a schematized decorative pattern in orange, blue and green. The pattern includes a central lozenge that extends upwards into an interlace and downwards to two pairs of curvilinear, leaf-shaped patterns. The border of the composite ornament is formed by a double cord, orange and green. The lozenge is covered with mat filling, whereas the rest of the patterns have a simple satin stitch.

Inside, the vest is lined with white cotton fabric. Along the opening at the neck and breast there extends a reinforcing band of ready-made fabric with coloured stripes lengthwise, yellow, black and pink. Lower, on the bias-cut sides of the front panels, where the buttonholes are found, there is a vertical strap of the same black felt.

The vest is quite heavily used. A small piece of felt is missing from its front, exposing the cotton lining.

Height 42 cm.

Width: 40.5 cm under the armpits, 33 cm at the waist.

Date of entry to the Collection: 26.10.1948

Provenance: Kathikas, Pafos – Donation.