colorful

Traditional woman’s costume of Paphos

The costume comprises the following dress items: ypokamison, (chemise worn as undercloth), sayia (a long-sleeved coat worn over the chemise), vrakia (baggy trousers, pantaloons), and a mandili tis koxas (kerchief wrapped  around the waist).  The sayia is made of woven striped fabric, alatzia, with alternating red and green stripes on an off-white background. Sayia is open down the front and not cut at the waist. It has a short collar around the neck and a low-cut opening on the chest. Small buttons close part of the garment above the waist. On the right upper part of the sayia, is found the small opening of a pocket, the outline of which is embroidered. Loxes, gores set into the side of the sayia, at its lower part, add more width, thus facilitating walking. The long sleeves of the sayia have a slit on the inner side of their lower part, through which the ending of the sleeves of the chemise are visible. The chemise is made of woven, off-white fabric, which is the natural colour of cotton, and has a vertical opening on the chest. Around the neck, it is decorated with fine, simple lace. The vrakia are long and tied around the ankles. The poinarka, their lower, visible part, are ornamented with ploumia tis voufas (loom embroidery) in blue and red patterns. Red, extracted from rizari, and blue, extracted from indigo, used to be the oldest colours used in woven embroidery. The kerchief around the waist is made of thin cloth in yellow colour, decorated with printed floral designs. The costume is complemented with a silver splinga (Provençal espingla, French épingle = pin), an ornament composed of thin chains and small coins or other attachments, which decorates the chest. The chains of the splinga end in tiny hooks, which are attached on the sayia, one on each shoulder, while a pin with a small round filigree head is closing the opening of the chemise in the middle of the chest.    

The costume is dated to the first decades of the 20th century. Geroskipou Folk Art Museum.

Double-breasted vest (yelekkin). The front part consists of two pieces of striped velvet fabric in red and yellow colours. There are six buttons made of silk cord on each side. These correspond to eight buttonholes decorated with black soutache with tassels.

Foustanin, cotton dress made of striped alatzia fabric. Red, yellow,  and black stripes are formed in the weft against a white background. The garment comprises a wide skirt and a separate bodice, which are joined at the waist. The back consists of a single piece of fabric, with a seam at the back of the shoulders. At the front, two separate pieces, sewn to the sides, form a deep opening, which leaves most of the chest uncovered and continues with a vertical slit reaching just below the waist. The opening closes with three hook-and-eye clasps. The sleeves are narrow and long, with the stripes of the fabric arranged in a horizontal position. Their edge is adorned with a sewn-on brown cord.

Long vest (yelekkin) made of cotton striped cloth (alatzia), with alternating stripes in the following order: brown, white, green, white, red, white, green, white and brown. The front part consists of two pieces, while the back is made of a single piece joining at the sides, under the armpits, the two front pieces. There is a small standing collar and embroidery around the openings.

Foustanin, cotton dress made of striped alatzia fabric. Red, green, yellow, orange, and black stripes are formed in the weft against a black background. The garment comprises a wide skirt and a separate bodice, which are joined at the waist.

The white shirt is made of taisto fabric, with lengthwise puckered bands created by warp threads of two different tensions. There is a vertical opening at the chest.

Women’s headscarf made of kouroukla, dyed in a deep red colour called tzeramidin. It is decorated with printed floral motifs in red and yellow, with black outline. The designs – of the edges (kkenarin) and the four corners (the milia) – are similar to those of other printed headscarves of the workshop of Evris Michael (or Euripides Mantilaris) and Kakoullis Brothers. The edges of the headscarf are decorated with pipilla (lace). The pattern features tiny white flowers with green leaves, repeated in a row.

The headscarf shows signs of wear, and repair indicates that the pipilla lace had come apart in some places. Despite this, the clarity of its motifs and the brightness of its colours are well preserved. Similar samples exist in the National Historical Museum in Athens (Gangadi et al. 1999, 178, fig. 179, 180), in the Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia, in the Historical and Folklore Museum of Corinth, in the Municipal Museum of Folk Art in Limassol, as well as in private collections.

A sleeved waistcoat (zimbouni) made of cotton alatzia with burgundy and yellow stripes. The neck features a low standing collar. The front consists of two pieces, while the back is made of a single piece of fabric. The sleeves are sewn vertically to the body.

 Incomplete female costume (Inv. No. 127), consisting only of a skirt (EE 1588) and a sarka (EE 1422). Donated by Fokion Tanos, Cairo 1948. Publication: Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou 1996, 108, fig. 93b.

Inv. No. EE 1588: Skirt/foustani (dress) of an urban costume, made of silk fabric (sattakrouta) in bright orange colour, with three horizontal bands at intervals. Each band comprises six stripes, three narrow and three wider, in light green, lilac and purple colours (from top to bottom). The skirt consists of five fabric panels, each 42-44 cm. wide, gathered in rich folds at the waist. The lower part of the hem has a lining of white cotton fabric sewn with red and black thread in a running stitch, while the edge is trimmed in the round by a black cord.

With the addition of the bodice, the skirt acquired the form of a dress. Most of the bodice remained covered, thus it was made of white cotton fabric. Its back consists of two pieces and has a vertical opening all the way down, while the front is made of a single piece. At the front, the cotton fabric was used as a lining for an imported silk fabric, with wide vertical and horizontal bands containing flowers in blue, green, yellow, gold, orange, and light blue colours. The deep opening at the bust leaves most of the chest uncovered. This is probably where the shirt would be visible, while the sarka would cover the bust.

At the waist the bodice has a sewn-on band of black velvet, 7 cm. wide, with fastening strings at its ends. Another such string is found behind the neck. At the back below the waist, in the extension of the back opening, the skirt has a slit of 24 cm. Total length of dress: 128 cm. Length of skirt: 88 cm. Width of bust: 38 cm.

Inv. No. EE 1422: Sarka, short waistcoat made of imported silk fabric, decorated with a woven design of lilac flowers in a bouquet, tied at the base with a green ribbon. This pattern alternates with a similar one in reverse colours (the bouquet has green flowers, and the ribbon is purple). The back consists of a single piece, continuing to the front. The sleeves, sewn vertically to the shoulders, narrow down to their edge, with an additional strip lengthwise. Movement is facilitated by the addition of two diagonally joined, triangular pieces of fabric at the armpits. Side seams of the garment are connected to the seams on the inner side of the sleeves. The ends of the front pieces are joined above the waist, forming a V-shaped opening at the chest. This opening, as well as the sleeves, are decorated with a lilac tasselled cord, while a blue-green cord trims the edge of the waist round. A beige fabric with a green line at its base adorns the low collar. The whole sarka is lined with white cotton cloth.

The silk fabric has been arranged and sewn in such a way, so that at the front side and on one sleeve the bouquets of the design appear inverted, while at the back and on the other sleeve they are upright. Length: 36 cm. Width at the shoulders: 45 cm. Width of sleeves: 16 cm. Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou 1996, 150, fig. 129.

Female costume (dress cat. no. 215) comprising a trachilia (collar, EE 3340), a skirt (EE 3341), a sarka (EE 3342) and a fez (EE 3343).

Inv. No. EE 3340: Trachilia (collar) made of silk woven, taiston fabric in the natural colour of silk, with wide and narrow bands in the warp. It consists of two strips 19-20 cm. wide, joined lengthwise at one end to form a square, leaving an opening 75 x 35 cm. The trachilia is ​​adorned with silk-thread, needle-made lace, again in the natural colour of silk, with delicate floral motifs. The trachilia is usually ​​accompanied by matching sleeve cuffs, maniketta (see i.e. Papademetriou 1995, 153). A similar trachilia and sleeve cuffs are shown in: The Cypriot Costumes 1999, 87. Publication: Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou 1996, 77, fig. 40.

Inv. No. EE 3341: Long, wide skirt made of sattakrouta (woven silk fabric), dyed in bright orange colour. It consists of four sewn fabric panels, each 48 cm. wide. Stripes are formed in the weft at intervals. These are arranged in three groups, each consisting of three narrow and three wider stripes, in light green, lilac and deep purple colours (top to bottom). In the middle of the skirt, a sewn-on band of stamped cotton fabric is decorated with maroon patterns on a beige background. A black braid of woven wool trims the hem. The skirt has undergone conservation treatment, including lining, as it was damaged. Apart from the colours, it resembles the skirt of the costume EE 1590 (cat. no. 91). Length: 99 cm.

Inv. No. EE 3342: Sarka, short waistcoat made of black felt, with a low upright collar and narrow, long sleeves, sewn vertically to the shoulders. The seam at their inner side is covered by a double cord. The back consists of a single trapezoidal piece of fabric, 41 cm. and 31 cm. wide at the top and bottom respectively. A seam at the shoulders joins it to the two front pieces, which have a maximum width of 28 cm. The front pieces are joined down at the waist, leaving a vertical opening above. Under each armpit, triangular pieces of fabric, joined at their base, offer ease of movement. The sarka is richly adorned with goldwork: the edges of the chest opening and the waist round, as well as the collar are trimmed by a double cord of gold thread and a wide sewn-on band with scroll patterns of twisted gold thread. The latter is repeated at the edges of the sleeves. A large paisley adorns both front pieces, right and left, while the back is decorated with a vertical, stylized floral motif. All edges are bordered by lace knitted with gold thread.

Although it is similar to the waistcoat EE 1423 of the costume cat. no. 91, this sarka has a more extravagant decoration. The paisley pattern is repeated in other waistcoat specimens (Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou 1996, 107, figs. 92, 137, 151). Length of sleeves: 45 cm. Width of sleeves: 13-16 cm.

Inv. No. EE 3343: Fez of red felt without lining, externally covered by a black tassel sewn to the top of it. Fringes made of black silk are scattered around the front half, where they are held in place by fkiora, lace buds and leaves of green and white silk thread. The stems of flowers, emerging from a thin strip attached to the fez, are fixed internally by means of a thin fabric. Over the back part of the fez falls the 58 cm. long tassel. Height of fez: 10 cm. Diameter (opening): 18 cm.

Fezzes with fkiora are depicted in photographs of the early 20th century, while a wreath made of pearls and silk thread is kept in the National Historical Museum in Athens (The Cypriot Costumes 1999, 80-83). Similar is the garland of Iouliani Voditsianou (19th century), currently on display at Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios House in Nicosia (for all the above, see Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou 1996, 150-152).

Female costume (dress cat. no. 170) which comprises all the main dress elements of the Amalia-type costume: a chemise (EE 952), a skirt (EE 1590), a sarka (EE 1423) and a fez (EE 2352).

Inv. No. EE 952: Silk chemise, made of loom woven taiston fabric (with puckered bands created lengthwise by warp threads of two different tensions). The chemise is long and consists of a single panel, 52 cm. wide, forming the front part and the back, as well as an oblique trapezoidal piece of fabric, set under each armpit and widening downwards. At the lower part of the garment, triangular gores (loxes) set at the sides add extra width. Their joint (kollisi), like all seams, is done by a fly stitch. The finish at the hem and at the ends of the sleeves is ruched. The sleeves, sewn vertically to the body, are joined by a seam at the inner side. The rounded neckline has a vertical opening of 19 cm., which is trimmed with smili (needle) lace, and closes with two loops. The initials "M P I", obviously of the donor Marika P. Ioannou, are embroidered with red and orange thread in a chain stitch, low at the front.  Length: 128 cm. Length and width of sleeves: 47x26 cm. Publication: Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou 1996, 76-77, figs 37, 38.

This is a representative type of Cypriot female chemise, as known from the oldest surviving specimens of the second half of the 19th century. According to the categorisation established by the costume maker Ioanna Papantoniou, this type is associated with the most common category of modern Greek chemise, having local variants (Papantoniou 1978, 8-9, dr. 37-43; Papantoniou 1979, 569-71, dr. 3-8).

Inv. No. EE 1590: Ankle-length skirt of woven silk fabric (sattakrouta) in yellow/gold colour, with horizontal parallel stripes in the weft at intervals. The stripes are arranged in three groups of six - three narrower and three wider - in purple, lilac and light green colours (top to bottom). The edge is trimmed all around with sewn-on black, ready-made lace, followed above by whitish lace, and a thin red cord a little higher. The cord has been fixed with a running stitch, while the lace bands are sewn only on the upper side, with the bottom side remaining unattached. The garment ends in a simple hem.

The skirt consists of five panels 44-46 cm. wide, according to the width of the loom reed. The panels are joined at the inner side with a simple running stitch. Creases are formed around the waist, where a band made of stamped fabric is sewn like a belt. The band is adorned with brown and red flowers on a beige background. A second piece of fabric, beige monochrome with creases, is fixed internally around the waist. The skirt closes with two hook-and-eye fasteners sewn on the stamped fabric band, above an opening of 12 cm., trimmed with a cord of red, yellow and blue threads (for the costume as an ensemble, see Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou 1996, 76 fig. 38). Length: 98 cm.

The locally made, all-silk striped skirts are a special feature of the urban costume of Nicosia. Dyes were prepared by women themselves using vegetable matters or ready-made paints. Lilac (vazani, namely the colour of the eggplant) was obtained from wild blackberries, green from walnut shells and pieces of the banana tree trunk, rose from onion peels, yellow from chrysanthemums and daisies (on the colours and the methods of dyeing silk threads, see Papademetriou 1995, 87, 89).

Similar extant skirts in various colours date to the end of the 19th or the beginning of the 20th centuries (see examples in the collections of the Cyprus Folk Art Museum and the Lyceum Club of Greek Women in Athens. See also Papademetriou 1995, 89, 152; Papademetriou 2000, 70; Papantoniou 1996, 100).

Inv. No. EE 1423: Sarka of black felt, with a low upright collar and long sleeves. The V-shaped, vertical opening at the chest closes at the bottom with two hook-and-eye clips. The back consists of a single piece of fabric, which is joined with the front pieces across the sides and shoulders. The sleeves, vertically sewn to the shoulders with a seam at the inner side of the arm, become slightly narrower downwards. Under each armpit, two diagonally joined, triangular pieces of fabric have been added for ease of movement. The collar consists of a separate piece.

The edges of the garment, as well as the side seams that continue the seams of the sleeves, are embellished with two cords of gold thread. The whole collar, as well as the fringes of the front opening and the waist and sleeve bottom edges, are decorated with a sewn-on band of twisted silk threads, forming scroll-like motifs and linear patterns. A large paisley of twisted gold threads adorns each of the lower front corners. On the back, variations of the same pattern form a triangular ornament, which extending scrolls on both sides of the side seams. The back is lined with blue fabric, while the collar and the front with crimson. Dimensions: Length: 41 cm. Width on the shoulders: 37 cm.  and at the lower part: 34 cm. Length of sleeves: 47 cm.

Inv. No EE 2352: Fez made of red felt in the shape of a cup, with a simple cut in the round. A tassel (flokkos) of black silk threads passes through the top. It is sewn on the inside of the fez, with a small sequin decorating the point of junction. Height: 17 cm. Diameter (opening): 27 cm. Length of tassel: 49 cm.

Similar examples of simple red fezzes can be found in the Museum of Folk Art in Yeroskipou, in the Museum of Folk Art in Limassol, as well as in other museums and collections.

Inv. No. EE 1589: Foustanin, cotton dress made of striped alatzia fabric. Red, green, yellow, orange, and black stripes are formed in the weft against a white background. The garment comprises a wide skirt and a separate bodice, which are joined at the waist. The back consists of a single piece of fabric, with a seam at the back of the shoulders. At the front, two separate pieces, sewn to the sides, form a deep opening, which leaves most of the chest uncovered and continues with a vertical slit reaching just below the waist. The opening closes with three hook-and-eye clasps. The sleeves are narrow and long, with the stripes of the fabric arranged in a horizontal position. Their edge is adorned with a sewn-on a black cord. Similar decoration is found in the middle of the skirt, covering the joint of the upper and the lower parts, and at the hem. For ease of movement, under the armpits there is an additional square piece of alatzia consisting of two small, diagonally joined triangles. The side seams on the bodice and the sleeves are covered by a double cord, straight and zigzagged. The opening of the chest is adorned with brown ready-made lace. The entire bodice and the sleeves are lined with white cotton fabric.

The long skirt consists of two pieces joined in width, without matching of the stripes, with the seam covered by a black cord. The only vertical joint is formed in the extension of the breast opening.

The hem is reinforced with a strip of cotton fabric, 35 cm. wide.

Similar dresses were worn in rural areas of Cyprus, such as Mesaoria and Paphos, in combination with vratzia, namely baggy trousers (see for example Tarsouli 1955, "Harvester of Paphos", opposite p. 384; The Cypriot Costumes 1999, 152-57; Papademetriou 1991, 106 fig. 70).

Dimensions: Length of the dress: 130 cm. Length of skirt: 92 cm. Length of sleeves: 45 cm.

Donated by Fokion Tanos in 1948.