Silk

Girdle (uçkur/uşgur) which passes through the hem of the underwear (iç donu) and is fastened in front to show the two embroidered edges. It is made of silk in its natural, ivory colour. One long side has a loom-woven selvedge, the other three sides a narrow hem made with the sewing machine. The decoration consists of two different floral patterns side by side; the first comprises two flowers with five petals each, embroidered with blue or mauve and dark red thread. Between the petals are fine linear patterns in backstitch. The stems are yellow, the leaves off-white outlined in dark green. Between the two flowers, above and below, there are star-shaped motifs with a small hole in the middle. One drawn thread forms a line separating the flowers from the next pattern, namely two groups of three flowers in oblique arrangement with similar leaves and four stars. The colours here are bright pink (gypsy pink, çingene pembesi) for two flowers of each group, yellow for the stem and off-white for the leaves which have dark green contours. One flower in each group is dark red, another has two colours, off-white and dark red, with a dark green contour like the leaves. The embroidery is fine with well made filling stitch (dolgu işi), and backstitch (iğne ardı) for stems and other lines. Two girdles could be made out of this piece, each 14cm wide (total width 28cm). Length: 1.66m.

Girdle (uçkur/uşgur) made of silk. On all four sides there is a narrow hem made with the sewing machine. The ends of the narrow sides are covered with embroidered decoration in filling stitch (dolgu işi), each with two rows of eight stems made of silver wire (tel), one above the other. On either side, as well as on top and bottom of the stems, there are leaves in red colour. The last patterns of each row are folded and stitched into the hem, which means that initially there was a broader embroidered surface, which was cut to make more girdles. Below the patterns runs a wavy line, made of silver wire, with repeated triple (three united) leaves between its curves, in alternating green and red colour. The wavy line is interrupted in about the middle of its course. The other end has the same pattern with six stems in each row instead of eight. Here there is also orange colour in addition to green and red for the leaves. The wavy line below the patterns is partly folded over and stitched into the seam. At this edge a drawn thread separates two of the motifs from the other four, probably to mark an intended cutting. However, the patterns of the two sides do not correspond exactly, and, if they cut it, the cutting would cross through the embroidered motifs. Width: 21cm. Length: 2.44m.

Girdle (uçkur/uşgur) made of silk. Simple hem on all sides. A drawn thread in the middle indicates that it was intended to cut the piece lengthwise and make two girdles. The decoration on the narrow ends of the first girdle comprises the same upright flower as one of the two patterns of Nos 107 and 112. Two similar seven-petalled flowers, embroidered with blue thread, are repeated side by side. The stem and centre of the flower are bright yellow, the leaves beige with dark green outline. Linear motifs between the petals are turned into a spiral under the flowers and under the leaves. Three stars between the two flowers, two of them pink and the middle one yellow, in a vertical arrangement, complete the adornment for the first girdle. Exactly the same patterns are repeated on the other end. The only slight difference is that one petal is completed with dark blue thread. The same type of flowers but with five petals and in dark red (purple) colour form the decoration for the second girdle. Three star-shaped motifs with a hole in the centre are vertically arranged between the flowers, two purple and one pink in the centre. The other end is decorated with the same patterns and colour combination, with the exception of the three stars which are all dark red/purple. The embroidery is made with two different stitches (filling stitch, dolgu işi, and backstitch, iğne ardı). Total width: 26cm, 13cm each girdle. Length: 1.66m.

Long and narrow waistband (uçkur/uşgur) made of silk fabric. The length is 1.66m and the width 13cm. One long side has a loom-woven selvedge (kenar dokuma), while the other side has a hem 7mm wide, formed by simple turning of the cloth and sewing it with the sewing machine. The same turned-over hem is found on the narrow sides. Both ends are embroidered with silk threads in floral designs. They consist of two flowers in bright pink colour, yellow stem and centre, and beige leaves with black outline. Between these two flowers are three minute flowers, a yellow one in the middle and two in pink, one above and one below. The same pattern is repeated on both ends, but on one end the two small flowers are embroidered with red (kırmızı) thread.

Girdle (uçkur/uşgur) made of silk in its natural colour. It has a loom-woven selvedge (kenar) on one long side and a narrow hem made with the sewing machine on the other three sides. Both narrow ends are decorated with three bouquets of four embroidered flowers repeated in a series. Each bouquet consists of two different types of flowers; one type is a four- or five-petalled flower and the other small blossoms on either side of a stem made with a gold metal wire (tel). The flowers and the thin curved leaves are filled with fine stitch (dolgu işi) in light blue colour. The two golden stems are crossed in the middle and the small blossoms are repeated – two on either side of the stem – below the crossing. All three are similar. Below the patterns runs a horizontal wavy tendril with leaves, also in light blue. Curved lines and stems are made in backstitch (iğne ardı). Width: 19cm. Length: 2.00m. Very similar to Nos 101 and 102.

Girdle (uçkur/uşgur) to be used for men’s underwear drawers. It is made of silk in its natural colour and embroidered with silk (ipek) thread in filling stitch (dolgu işi). All four sides are finished with a hem made with a sewing machine. The main pattern consists of two similar flowers next to each other, with three petals each and linear motifs between the petals. The yellow stems are divided in two and terminate in double spirals at the lower end. From each stem project two pairs of leaves embroidered with backstitch (iğne ardı) and filling stitch (dolgu işi), the upper pair in off-white colour with dark green outlines, and the lower pair in dark mauve with spirals under them. Between the flowers are two pink star-shaped motifs with a hole in the centre, one above the other. The same patterns are embroidered on both ends of the girdle. Width: 11.5cm. Length: 1.66m.

Girdle made of silk and decorated with embroidered floral patterns. All three patterns are similar with those of Nos 102 and 105, but are mauve instead of blue. They consist of three bouquets in oblique arrangement. There are two types of flowers, namely four-petalled flowers in groups of four, and small blossoms, four on either side of the stem and one on top. Both stems are made of gold wire, and cross each other. Under the crossing the blossoms are repeated two on either side. The leaves are long and curved. Below the patterns runs a horizontal wavy line with small projections, a stylized form of a tendril, the same as in Nos 102 and 105. The filling stitch (dolgu işi) is also the same. Width: 17cm. Length: 2.00m.

Fermeli is men’s short sleeved waistcoat, richly decorated with gold braids; (from the Albanian fermele); it is recorded as fermeni, in Greek Cy­priot documents.

The Fermeli  is made of red felt. The back is of a single piece of material, and the front is made of two pieces fastened vertically by six buttons braided of naturally coloured silk thread. At the centre of the front there is a semi-circular false pocket formed of gold gaitania (turk. gaytan or kaytan, cotton or silk cord, twisted gold braid). The Fermeli has an upright collar and long sleeves, sewn vertically to the back and hanging free front. The sleeves and edges of the openings are richly trimmed with gaitania, forming a variety of spiral motifs. The opening at the front is further adorned with an attached gold-woven band in which flowers and zig-zag line are woven. The fastening loops are secured in position by an attached vertical gold band woven with gaitania and braids of twisted multi-coloured silk threads. The Fermeli is lined with white cotton material, and the collar and sleeves have a lining of striped cotton material adorned with printed garlands and bouquets of flowers.