Felt

Fessin (fez), a cap made of red felt with a thick tassel of black silk. Around the middle of the fez there are sewn-on small silk flowers.

Private collection, Larnaca.

Dark red female fez, timeworn in many places. A long tassel made of black silk threads passes through the centre of the top and is then secured externally. The fez supplemented the female urban dress, while at the same time it was one of the basic complementary elements of the male attire. In 18th and 19th centuries property lists of deceased persons from Larnaca and Nicosia, fezzes imported from the Barbary Coast, namely from North African countries (Tunisia, Algeria, Maroco), are recorded as parpareshika. Fezzes were also locally made. Dimensions: Height: 18 cm. Diameter: 30 cm.

A sketch by D’Oulevay depicts the blocking of a fez with a mould, at a fez production workshop in Nicosia at the end of the 19th century (Deschamps 1897, III fig. 171).

Women’s fez of red felt, without lining. It is paired with a small white headscarf (CMLE 2116/9). The fez has two black tassels of silk thread, one short and one long. The short tassel is secured radially to the top of the fez, where it forms the tepeliki. Its fringes fall all around, covering the rest of the surface and are secured with two rows of stitches. The second tassel, a long dangling flokkos, falls to the side and reaches the shoulder. On the other side of the fez, a white headscarf of georgette material is attached, decorated all around with pipilla, fine needle lace, sewn with golden thread and green thread. In the four corners, there is a rudimentary decoration of tiny gold sequins secured with green thread.

Fez dimensions: height 12 cm., diameter 14 cm., tassel length: 63 cm.

Purchase price: 35 drachmas on 28-04-1956.

Women’s fez of red felt, without lining. It has two black tassels of silk thread, one short and one long. The short tassel forms the tepeliki at the top of the fez. Its fringes fall all around, covering the rest of the surface, and are secured with two rows of stitches. The second tassel, a long dangling flokkos (tassel), falls to the side and reaches the shoulder.

Fez dimensions: height 14 cm., diameter 14 cm., tassel length: 48 cm.

Purchase price: 149 drachmas on 27-12-1956.

Sarka, women’s short long-sleeved jacket made of black felt, with sewn-on decoration. The sarka consists of one piece of fabric, which covers the chest and most of the back, with additional pieces covering the body under the armpits and extending to the back. The sleeves are made of separate pieces of felt, which are sewn vertically onto the body. The chest has a deep oval opening, which becomes straight at its lower part, where it closes with five hook-and-eye type clasps. Around the opening of the chest, all around the bottom edge and at the edges of the sleeves, there is a sewn-on decorative band of twisted cord and golden thread, which form continuous spirals of stylised floral motifs with a chain-like finish. Along the perimeter of the waist, below the sewn-on decoration, there are three silk ribbons in olive green, coral and bright blue colour, sewn on the felt. The sarka is lined with beige cotton fabric, and the bottom edges of the sleeves are lined with a deep red silk fabric with interwoven floral motifs. It is preserved in quite a good condition, although in many places the sewn-on decoration has come apart.

This type of floral decoration is quite common and characterises many Cypriot sarkes, which are part of the bridal or festive Amalia-style costume, initially urban and later also rural (as indicative examples, see sarkes dating between 1850 and1870, from Peristeronopigi, a village in the Ammochostos district, in Michalopoulou-Charalambous 1993, 196-197).

Dimensions: height 39.5 cm., width 43 cm. Sleeves: length 45 cm., width 17-19 cm.

Sarka of black felt with long sleeves and a low standing collar, 3 cm. high. The front part consists of two pieces of fabric. The sleeves are sewn vertically to the body and for ease of movement there are two gussets under each armpit (additional triangular pieces joined at the longest side). The triangles reach 7 cm. above the lower edge of the sarka. The back consists of a single piece.  

The sarka has a rich decoration of gold-wrapped thread and double rows of metallic soutache joined with a metallic thread of fine quality. The finish of the collar, the front opening, and the bottom edges of the sarka all feature the same decoration, while the sleeve seams are also emphasised with soutache. The designs consist of a series of arches with spiral extensions between them, above a series of vertical lines,1 cm high. The central arch at the edge of the back is crowned with a complex curvilinear motif, perhaps a stylised tree,10 cm. high. At the join of the seam of the sleeves with the bottom decorative band, tiny spiral patterns 6 cm. high frame both sides of the soutache that covers the seam of the sleeves, as an extension of the decoration at the bottom edge of the sarka. At the front, each side of the chest features a large, elongated paisley; its surface is covered with stylised, swirling floral motifs. The upper tip of the paisley extends to a delicate pattern of spirals. At the back part of the neck, below the collar, there is a simpler lattice pattern in golden thread, with tiny loops at the tips.

Although this sarka is of a common type, it is distinguished by its meticulous manufacture, and especially by its elegant and intricate decoration, which is further emphasised by the sharp contrast between the gold designs and the black felt.

The sarka is lined with a beige fabric. It is identical with sarka CMLE 2113/8.

Dimensions: height 39 cm., width 40 cm. Sleeves: length 45 cm., width 16.5 cm.

Purchase Price: 510 drachmas. Purchased the same year as the previous one but at half the price.

Sarka of black felt with long sleeves and a low standing collar, 3 cm high. The front part consists of two pieces of fabric. The sleeves are sewn vertically to the body and for ease of movement there are two gussets under each armpit (additional triangular pieces, joined at the longest side). The top of the triangles is 7 cm above the bottom edge of the sarka. The back consists of a single piece.  

The sarka has a rich decoration of gold-wrapped thread and double rows of metallic soutache, joined with a metallic thread of fine quality. The finish of the collar, the front opening, and the edges of the bottom part of the sarka all feature the same decoration, while the sleeve seams are also emphasised with soutache. The designs consist of a series of arches with spiral extensions between them, above a series of vertical lines, 1 cm. high. The central arch at the edge of the back is crowned with a complex curvilinear motif, perhaps a stylised tree,10 cm. high. Where the seam of the sleeves meets the bottom decorative band, tiny spirals, 6 cm. high, frame both sides of the soutache that covers the seam of the sleeves, as an extension of the decoration that lines the bottom edge of the sarka. At the front, each side of the chest features a large, elongated paisley; its surface is covered with stylised, swirling floral motifs. The upper tip of the paisley extends into a delicate pattern of spirals. At the back part of the neck, below the collar, there is a simpler lattice pattern in golden thread, with tiny loops at the tips.

This sarka, although of a common type, is distinguished by its meticulous manufacture, and especially by its elegant and intricate decoration, which is further emphasised by the sharp contrast between the gold designs and the black felt.

The sarka is lined with a beige fabric.

Dimensions: height 39.5 cm., width 43 cm. Sleeves: length 46 cm., width 17 cm.

Purchase Price: 1200 drachmas.

Women’s fez of red felt, without lining. It has two black tassels with silk thread fringes, one short and one long. The short tassel starts from the centre on the top and forms the tepeliki, which covers the upper part of the fez. Its fringes fall all around, covering the fez, onto which it is secured with two rows of stitches. The second tassel, a long dangling tassel, flokkos, of 37 cm, falls on the side and reaches the shoulder. The perimeter of the fez is decorated with a band of golden-yellow velvet with fine embroidery consisting of continuous spirals with flowers and small leaves in between. The band closes by overlapping its edges above the forehead. The four edges are slightly broader than the band itself and are decorated with tulip-type flowers, stems and leaves, also embroidered with golden thread. The overlap of the ends of the band is covered with a round piece of the same velvet, embroidered with an eight-petalled rosette. All pieces are decorated all around with handmade golden-thread lace. This example can be compared with the decorative band of a fez in the Benaki Museum (item no. EE2571), a red velvet band embroidered with golden thread and pearls that form a continuous branch with leaves and flowers. The band, measuring 58 cm. in length and 3.5 cm. in width, has a tongue-shaped termination at one end (12.2 x 6 cm) and is adorned with lace edging (pipilla) of golden thread (Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou 1996, 150, fig. 128).

Dimensions: Fez: height 9 cm., diameter 17 cm.

Overlap of the fez band edges: height 15 cm., width 14 cm.

Central circular element: diameter 3.5 cm.

Selected Pieces of Women's Costumes

Sarka, a women's short jacket with long sleeves, made of black felt, with intricate applied decoration. It consists of two front pieces that extend to the sides to join the trapezoidal piece at the back. The front has a deep oval-shaped opening that becomes straight at the lower part, where the edges are fastened together with three hook-and-eye clasps. The lining of both sides of the vertical opening at the lower part of the front, is reinforced with red satin. The sleeves widen towards the edge and are sewn vertically onto the body, with inner seams. The edges of all the openings are covered with sewn-on decoration of twisted cord made of golden thread, which forms floral motifs, curved branches, and leaves. The finish consists of a thin band with a chain-like pattern. This applied decoration, with variations in the patterns, is very common in Cypriot sarkes. It typically covers the bottom edges of the sleeves, the opening of the chest and the edge of the lower part of the sarka at the waist. The garment is lined with beige cotton fabric. A similar type of sarka, with an almost identical sewn-on decoration, is worn by the woman in a couple’s portrait in festive costume, at the Saint Herakleidios monastery fair in the late 19th century (photograph in the Album of Max and Magda Ohnefalsch-Richter; see Marangou and Malekos 1990, p. 70a).

Dimensions: height 37 cm., width 29 cm. Sleeves: length 50 cm., width 18 cm. at the top and 23 cm. at the bottom.

Women's red fez made of felt, without lining. It features two tassels made of black silk threads, one short and the other long. The short tassel starts from the centre of the top and forms the tepeliki, which covers the upper part of the fez. Its fringes fall all around, covering the fez, onto which it is secured with two rows of stitches. The second tassel, a long dangling tassel, flokkos, falls on the side and reaches shoulder height. The fez is paired with the white handkerchief 2145.

Dimensions: height 12 cm., diameter 14 cm., tassel length 63 cm.

Purchase Price: 149 drachmas.