Female

Gilt buckle (poukla) made of silver alloy. It consists of two similar almond-shaped elements with wavy outlines and identical incised and relief stylised floral composition that emerges from a tiny vase with upright opposing handles ending in spirals. The base of the flower vase is rendered in the shape of a pitcher with engraved details. The floral composition consists of branches with flowers and leaves that develop on most of the surface, following the almond-shaped outline up to the pointed tip of the buckle. The decoration is completed with a wide band which follows the perimeter of the central motif, featuring continuous spiral-shaped leaves. The clasp of the buckle is closed with a cast hook that inserts into a cast ring on the opposite part of the buckle. On the backside of each piece, there is a metal strap for securing the fabric of the belt. A small technical repair is observed at the base of one piece.

Dimensions: height 24 cm., width 30 cm.

Women’s short long-sleeved jacket (sarka) of black felt, with sewn-on decoration. The sarka consists of a single piece of fabric, which covers the chest and the back, while additional pieces cover the body under the armpits. The sleeves are made of separate pieces of felt, which are sewn vertically onto the body. The vertical opening on the chest is deep and oval-shaped, and closes at the lower part with five hook-and-eye clasps. Around the opening of the chest, all around the bottom edge of the garment and the edges of the sleeves, there is a sewn-on decorative band of twisted cord and gold thread, formed into stylised floral patterns with a chain-like finish. In the middle, below the sewn-on decoration, three horizontal ribbons of olive green, coral and blue have been sewn into the felt. The jacket is lined with beige cotton fabric and at the lower part of the sleeve it is lined with a deep red silken material with floral motifs. The garment is preserved in fairly good condition, although in several places the sewn-on decoration had come apart and was repaired.

This type of sewn-on decoration is common and characterises many Cypriot sarkes, which are part of the formal, bridal, or festive Amalia-style costume, initially urban and later also rural (as indicative examples, see sarkes from the period 1850-1870, from Peristeronopigi Ammochostou, in Michalopoulou-Charalambous 1993, 196-197).

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

Skirt of satakrouta, a pure silk fabric made from coarse unboiled silk. The name derives from the Italian term seta cruda. The colour of the fabric is somon (from the French saumon, salmon). The light-coloured field is interrupted at intervals by parallel horizontal stripes formed in the weft. The stripes are in three groups, each of which has six stripes – three fine and three broader stripes. The colours (from top to bottom) are light green, deep red, and purple. Below the bottom group, at the lower edge of the skirt, there is a broad band in dark/cypress green. The thin stripes have a 0.5 cm width, the wide stripes have a 1 cm width, and the green band at the bottom is 4 cm wide. The width of each group is 10 cm. The skirt is ankle-length and widens towards the hem. It gathers at the waist, where a thin belt of the same fabric has been sewn on. At the side, there is a vertical opening of 15 cm, with two cotton ribbons that tie at the waist. It is lined with off-white cotton fabric and it has a simple hem at the bottom. In places, the fabric is stained and shows signs of wear.

This is a characteristic urban festive traditional skirt, primarily made in Nicosia. This particular type of skirt was worn in Cyprus as part of a more recent variation of the national dress inspired by the costume of Queen Amalia, dating back to the late 19th/early 20th century. For examples of the same skirt as part of a complete Amalia-type costume, see: Papantoniou 1996, p. 100; similar examples can be found in Papadimitriou 1991, p. 15; Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou 1996, p. 76, fig. 38; Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou 2010, p. 136-137, no. 91b, and pp. 138-139, no. 92b.

Dimensions: height 90 cm., width 40 cm.

Price: 275 drachmas.

White silk cotton shirt made of taisto fabric, with lengthwise puckered bands created by warp threads of two different tensions. The original shirt was long, and it has been altered. There is a vertical opening at the chest, measuring 22 cm. The long and broad sleeves are sewn lengthways onto the body, which is made of one piece of fabric. The neck opening and its continuation on the chest, as well as the edges of the sleeves, are decorated with off-white pipilla, a fine lace made with a sewing needle, in a pattern of continuous little flowers.

Dimensions: height 70 cm. chest width 65 cm. Sleeves: length 53 cm. width 23 cm.

Reconstruction of women’s costume from Cyprus, from the CMLE collection. The following pages contain the various parts of the costume: shirt (CMLE 1015/2), skirt (CMLE 2195/5), sarka (CMLE 1985/2), buckle (CMLE 2499/2), necklace (myrmidin) (CMLE 13905), women’s red fez (CMLE 2213/11) and fez headscarf (CMLE 2145).

Girl in a performance Costume from Melikian familly photo album. The costume consists of a white wide skirt with a white top that has wide-sleeves and is covered with musical notes.

Rita Dervishian, daughter of Elize Melikian dressed with a checkered or tartan twilled cloth dress with short sleeves. She is wearing two matching bows

Child dressed in a dress with a long skirt with cuffed sleeves that had intricate needlework and a matching hat from Melikian familly photo album..

Young women dressed in a western-style long white dress with ruffled sleeves and intricate appliqués on the skirt portion of the dress, from Melikian familly photo album.

Young girl wearing a western-style white dress that is knee length and short sleeved. She is also wearing a matching bow in her hair, from Melikian familly photo album.