Sarka

Sarka, women’s short long-sleeved jacket made of black felt, with sewn-on decoration. The chest has a deep oval opening, which becomes straight at its lower part. 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.

Sarka, women’s short long-sleeved jacket made of black felt, with sewn-on decoration. The chest has a deep oval opening, which becomes straight at its lower part. 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.

Sarka, women’s short long-sleeved jacket made of black silk fabric and lined with cotton fabric in a salmon hue. The front is made of two similar pieces, 45 cm. high and 27 cm. wide, with pointed ends. The two pieces extend to the sides and join with the single piece that covers the back. The flared sleeves are sewn vertically onto the body, with inner seams. They are 46 cm. long, 17 cm. wide at the shoulders and 30 cm. wide at the flared ends. The back has a height of 32 cm. and its maximum width reaches 27 cm.

There is a sewn-on golden thread decoration of ready-made lace with a width of 2 cm. at the front opening, the bottom edge and around the ends of the sleeves. The pattern consists of continuous elaborate semi-circular motifs.

Dimensions: height 45 cm., width 54 cm. Sleeves: length 46 cm., width 17-30 cm.

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.

The sarka is made of striped cotton alatzia. The back and front are made of a single piece, with no stitching at the shoulders, and there is a vertical v-shaped opening in the front, fastened at the bottom with two loops. The long narrow sleeves are sewn vertically to the body and are open at the bottom.

The bottom of the sleeves is reinforced by striped alatzia on inside, and the interior of the sarka is entirely lined with bleached cotton material.

The sarka is lavishly decorated with embroideries. The opening at the front, the join of the two sleeves, and the back, are all adorned with a variety of patterns volutes, spirals, checks worked in naturally coloured silk thread, as well as threaded red and green petrou(d)es. The sleeve hems are also decorated with petrou(d)es, with large glass beads on the finishes. The garment is a rare example of the sarka worn in Karpasia, which is made of white cotton material with decorative petrou(d)es attached to it; similar attached decoration and baeds are also found un the white karpasiot sayia.