Male

Traditional costume of a young man from Lysi (dress Inv. No. 246), comprising a chemise (Inv. No. EE 3830), a yelekkin (Inv. No. EE 3831), a zostra (Inv. No. EE 3832), a vraka (Inv. No. EE 3833) and po(d)ines (Inv. No.EE 3834). Donated to the Benaki Museum by “Demetra”, the Rural Local Union of Lysi, Cyprus, in 1973.

Inv. No. EE 3830: Festive chemise, made of woven striped, taiston silk fabric (pouroudjioukkin) in an off-white colour. The back and the front sides consist of a single piece, with vertical woven stripes. The upper front part, which is divided in the middle by a vertical opening, has an additional second piece of fabric with its stripes arranged in an oblique position, so that they converge to the centre. The additional piece, rectangular and cut obliquely at the bottom corners, ends in a sewn-on band of ready-made lace (edging). Similar lace adorns both sides of the chest opening, which closes with six off-white buttons. Two more buttons hold the lapels of the collar. A triangle, formed centrally at the back of the collar, is also fastened with a button. The sleeves are attached to a separate piece of fabric at the shoulders, the nomite, as well as to the front side of the chemise. They are long, with cuffs bearing two buttonholes each. The length of the chemise is increased by a piece of fabric – simple, with no stripes - added to the bottom. A square piece of fabric of the same type has been added to the armpits for ease of movement. Length of the chemise: 72 cm. Width at the shoulders: 36 cm. Length of sleeves: 50 cm.

Inv. No. EE 3831: Festive yelekkin, made of black velvet. Its crossover opening is fastened on both sides with 11 and 12 black buttons (later addition) respectively, sewn in an oblique arrangement with coloured threads. The edges and all the openings end in a thick, braided blue cord, double around the neck and along the crossover opening, where it forms loops corresponding to the buttons. At the back, a vertical opening is cross fastened with two ribbons, green and red, passing through loops made of blue cord.

The yelekkin is richly decorated. Twisted coloured threads, orange, blue, pink, green, yellow and purple, trim all the openings and the waist round, forming bands of very simple linear patterns and stylized floral designs. Two large, sewn-on pockets, one on each side of the chest, are decorated with a three-stranded tree of green and pink thread. The pockets, bordered by a black cord, are also adorned with scroll patterns of orange and red thread. The three-stranded tree is repeated above the vertical opening at the back. The vest is lined with white cotton cloth, bearing all the coloured threads of decoration.

This vest, although of a relatively later date (velvet vests of this type were sewn and decorated by tailors in Nicosia), repeats the design of preceding Mesaoria vests, made either of velvet or more commonly of woven plaid fabric. Its decoration reflects the similarly exuberant decoration and the colourfulness of the oldest surviving specimens, yet lacking their delicate craftsmanship and elegance (for cross vests of the last decades of 19th century, see Papademetriou 1991, 108-110 figs. 73-75; Michalopoulou-Charalambous 1993, 204-205 · The Cypriot Costumes 1999, 202, 205 fig. 216, 207 figs. 218-219). However, although it is a simplified imitation that becomes almost simplistic, this vest undoubtedly remains in the context of tradition, showcasing a strong festive character. Dimensions: 39x40 cm.

Inv.No. EE 3832: Black woven zostra (waist sash) made of wool. Its only decorative element is a deep red stripe in the weft, close to the narrow sides’ edges. The threads of the warp extend into untied fringes. The zostra was wrapped around the waist, over the vraka (breeches, baggy pantaloons). Dimensions: Length: 240 cm. Width: 42 cm.

Inv. No. EE 3833: Pleated vraka, made of black woven cotton fabric. It consists of the two leg parts and a pleated middle part, the vakla (sheep tail and figurately speaking the sella tis vrakas) or sellovratzia, of two fabric panels joined lengthwise with a vertical seam reaching up to the top, where there is a slit 15 cm. just below the waist, at the front of the garment. The side pieces are joined to the middle piece along their entire length at the front and the back, while at the bottom they have an opening of 16 cm. for the legs. The edge of each opening is adorned with a band of black thread stitches, forming a zigzag line between horizontal ones. At the waist the fabric is folded outwards, and through the hem passes a knitted white cotton cord, the vrakozonin, by means of which the breeches are held in place, forming dense folds. The vraka is in excellent condition and looks unworn. Dimensions: Length: 75 cm. maximum width: 94 cm.

Inv. No. EE 3834: Fragkopodines skarparisimes (boots made by a shoemaker), black and reaching up to the knee. There is a distinction between right and left foot. The soles are sewn, and the low heel has a nailed rubber band with the logo of the firm Continental encircling an upright horse. The soles are wider than the insole, and their projecting contour is decorated with incisions. The boots have a rounded toe box; the front part, the promouttin, extends with a vertical tongue-shaped element onto the shaft, while its sides are joined to the heel counter. The seams are decorated with stitches forming a zigzag line. Linear patterns of stitches also adorn the pieces of the shaft, which is further decorated with horizontal parallel ribs, five in the middle and three at the top, with the last one at the top edge.

An additional leather strip, fixed along the vertical seam from top to bottom, is decorated with a series of geometric designs, consisting again of stitches. Strips of leather, 3 cm wide, are sewn at the inner side of the top edge, forming loops, through which pass the kolanakia (straps). The latter are 2 cm. wide, with a buckle at the end and many holes with white ppoulia (sequins). A smaller strap bearing holes is nailed with a metal ppoulin at the inner side of the straps, to close the buckle. These straps were tied to better secure the boot to the foot. The specific boots are new, unworn. Dimensions: Height of boot: 42 cm. Length of foot: 28,5 cm.  

Similar boots are shown in a 1925-1926 photo, taken in a village of Mesaoria. They are worn by a young man also wearing breeches, combined with a European shirt and jacket (see Michalopoulou-Charalambous 1993, 206).

 Inv. No. 118: Male costume from Karpasia, comprising a shirt (EE 953), breeches (vraka, EE 1587), a waist girdle (zostra, EE 2134), a sleeved waistcoat (zimbounin, EE 1421), a fez (EE 2351), boots (podines, EE 2302), and a pair of hair-woven garters (EE 2242). The costume is complemented by a knitted pouch (pountzin, EE2908) and a leather bag (vourka, EE 3152).

Donated by Fokion Tanos, Cairo 1948.

Inv. No. EE 953: Shirt made of white cotton cloth with light blue and green stripes (alatzia). It has long sleeves and a collar with outward-folded leaves. At the front, along the waistline there is a horizontal stripe, at the endpoint of vertical pleats. At the central, front parts the cloth is sewn in such a way, so as to comprise alternating vertical and oblique stripes. The shirt is fastened by three black buttons, while higher up, under the collar, there are two more buttonholes (the buttons do not survive). The cloth stripes at the sleeve cuffs are set obliquely.

Inv. No. EE 1587: Breeches made of thick cotton cloth, dyed black. These baggy pantaloons pleat around the waste, where they are held in place by means of a girdle (vrakozonin). At the lower front part, two vertical joins cause the cloth to bunch, thus forming a fluffy part in between the calves (sella or vakla, named after the wide and full of fat tail of the sheep found in Cyprus). Breeches were dyed in special oblong jars by local dyers, who employed pomegranate skin, indigo and Rhus coriaria (roudin), a plant also used for tanning purposes (on traditional dyes in Cyprus and the dyeing process applied for breeches, see Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou 2001, 262-276: Ε. Ριζοπούλου-Ηγουμενίδου, «Η παραδοσιακή χρήση φυτών στην Κύπρο στη βαφική και την κοσμητική κατά τους νεότερους χρόνους», στο: Φαρμακευτικά και Αρωματικά Φυτά, Ζ΄ Τριήμερο Εργασίας , Κύπρος, Παραλίμνι, 21-25 Μαρτίου 1997 (Αθήνα 2001), 262-276.  

Inv. No. EE 2134: Waist girdle made of woven black wool, with a white strip along its edges. The warp threads extend in black tassels at the narrow sides. The girdle is characterised by its excessive length, due to which it could be wrapped around the waist multiple times. Dimensions: 220x40 cm.       

Inv. No. EE 1421: Zimbounin (sleeved waistcoat) made of silk and cotton cloth, with stripes in yellow/golden and crimson colours. The crimson stripes are bordered on each side by a thin band with a linear woven motif, namely a fishbone in green colour. The sequence of alternating designs is as follows: yellow stripe, fishbone, crimson stripe, fishbone etc. The waistcoat is open at the front and its two sides cross over at their lower part, which consists of an additional, obliquely positioned piece of cloth.  The back and the front parts are made of a single piece of cloth, without shoulder seams. Seams can be found along the sides, each ending in a small opening. The long sleeves, sewn vertically at the shoulders, have an opening at their lower edge and are simply sewn at their inner side. Their opening is lined with a colourful stamped cloth, the designs of which comprise yellow, green, black and white flowers on a crimson background. The stamped cloth can be seen when the sleeves are folded upwards. The neckline and the front opening are decorated with a twisted string made of black and beige threads, ending in a tassel at the front. The left sleeve is bordered by a black string which forms three decorative knots at intervals, while the middle of the sleeve’s edge is adorned by a tripartite flower with three knots at each side. The lower edge of the waistcoat doesn’t bear any decoration.   

Inv. No. EE 2351: Fez in crimson colour, with a small black cotton tassel.

Inv. No. EE 2302: Tsagkaropodines, pair of peasant boots made of goatskin. The inner light-coloured leather is discernible at the top, where the boot is folded below the knee. Each podina (boot) is made of separate pieces at the front, the heel and the sides, joined together by vertical seams. The soles are made of overlaid pieces of ox skin. Special flathead nails (the rizes or podinorizes), made by local blacksmiths (komodromoi), are fixed on the treads. After nailing, these were fastened to a screw-shaped top, a process known as tzinoma. The twisted nails can be seen in the outline of the sole. A horseshoe-shaped iron platani is nailed at the back, where the sole becomes thicker. The join between sole and upper leather is adorned with a string of twisted thread.

For men’s boots they used the skin of a two-year-old goat, lined with sheepskin on the inside. The skins were being processed in Cypriot countryside tanneries (gnafkia), the main ones of which continued to operate up to the second half of the 20th century in the villages of Psimolofou and Pedoulas. Vegetable tanning was applied, using leaves of Rhus coriaria (commonly called roudin or sumac).

For boot dyeing they used xithkia, a paint made by shoemakers from vinegar, pieces of old iron objects, usually rusty nails, and useless leather scraps (Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou 1996, 169-170; Kanthos 1981, 125-129).bl. bibliography Benaki

Inv. No. EE 2242: Pair of strings (pair) spun of white and brown goat hair on the adrahtas (big wooden spindle). The podinorammata (boot strings) were used to fasten the boots (podines) at the top, near the knee.

Inv. No. EE 2908: Knitted pouch (pountzin) made of silk thread in its natural off-white colour. The long and narrow purse extends to a knitted string that ends in a tassel. The same string is also connected to another double string with tassels (flokkouthkia). Four of these tassels are attached to the middle of the string and another to its end. A threaded reddish-brown bead is found at the base of each of the two bobbles at the edges. More tassels adorn the bag, surrounding it in two rows, while another is found at its bottom. Between the rows of tassels, the bag is embroidered with yellow/gold, green, red, blue and brown beads arranged in two circumferential zones with geometric patterns. Length: 42 cm.

Similar pouches are found in Cypriot private collections and museums, such as the Museum of Folk Art in Yeroskipou and Lefkara, and the Levention Municipal Museum in Nicosia. Knitted pouches with beads are published in: Papademetriou 2008, 33. 

Inv. No. EE 3152: Leather bag (vourka) for the storage of shepherds and farmers’ food. It is made of tanned goat skin, with dense and thin fringes at the top and bottom, adorned with shells and glass beads in light green and blue colours. The bag closes by pulling two strings that are spun of white and brown hair. These strings pass through the amboustes, namely the pleats at the opening of the bag. Their other end is connected to the edges formed by the two front legs of the animal, at the back side of the bag. In this way the vourka can be hanged on the shoulder.

 Inv. No. EE 4323: Man’s yelekkin (waistcoat) from Nicosia, worn as part of the urban attire. It is made of black European-made broadcloth with goldwork embroideries. The back is formed by a single piece of broadcloth, while the front consists of two pieces. The waistcoat has an additional collar and an oval opening at the chest. Further below, it is fastened by means of opposite loops made of yellow string. Applied braids of twisted gold threads (gaitania, bobbins) decorate all openings, the collar, the side seams, and the edges of the waistcoat. On both sides of the front opening, decorative patterns made of twisted gold threads comprise winding stems and flowers, three on each side. A narrow band with a zigzag line extends along the front opening. The waistcoat is lined with cotton stamped cloth, decorated with a winding branch bearing leaves and flowers in vertical rows. All motifs are dark yellow on a white background. Along the inner side of the collar and the opening, the lining in reinforced by a band of purple cloth, 5cm. wide. The broadcloth is worn in certain places.

The waistcoats of the male formal attire, made of broadcloth or velvet, as well as the waistcoats of the female attire (sarkes), were sewn and decorated with gold wires or silk threads by tailors who worked mainly in Nicosia. A Cypriot popular song of the 19th century mentions: “On the beautiful broadcloth gold braids are attached” (see Papadopoullos 1975, 238B.35 verse 3). The waistcoat presented here falls under the specific dress category with these features. Dimensions: 43x37cm.

It belonged to the collection of Angeliki Pieridou and was donated by George and Marina Pieridou, in 1981.

Inv. No. EE 4324: Man’s waistcoat (yelekkin) made of striped cloth (alatzia) in blue, yellow and light brown (siettarin) colours. The back of this sleeveless overgarment consists of a single piece of cloth that is stitched at the sides, under the armpits, to the two front pieces, leaving two small openings at the lower part. The waistcoat has a vertical opening at the front, along the chest, and a small collar, all bordered with a blue twisted string that also forms loops for the fastening buttons, again in blue colour. The string also extends along part of the horizontal lower edge of the yelekkin. A similar string decorates the opening of a pocket, placed at the middle of the opening along the chest. The edges of the arm openings are stitched with blue thread. Both sides of the vertical opening of the waistcoat, as well as the collar, are decorated near their edge with a sewn-on weft band. The latter consists of red, yellow and blue threads and is bordered by a zig zag line made of blue thread. A similar line also borders the decorated pocket opening. The waistcoat is lined with white cotton cloth, while the pocket has a striped cloth (alatzia) lining, featuring blue, red and white colours. Dimensions: 20x20 cm. It belonged to the collection of Angeliki Pieridou and was donated to the Benaki Museum by George and Marina Pieridou , in 1981.

Inv. No. EE 4322: Man’s waistcoat (yelekkin), probably from Karavas or Lapithos, made of cotton striped cloth (alatzia) in bright colours (red, yellow, white, light green etc.). The back and the sides are made of a single piece of cloth that is stitched at the shoulders and the sides to the two pieces of the front part. The latter extend to angular edges and cross over the chest, forming a U-shaped opening. The yelekkin is fastened by seven diagonally-arranged round buttons made of silk twisted string. A vase-shaped pocket is sewn at the right front side of the waistcoat. It is made of black broadcloth at the upper part and (trimmed) velvet at the lower, and its outline is adorned with strings and braids of twisted threads (gaitania, bobbins). Similar decoration is applied along the edges and the openings of the waistcoat.

Spiral decorative motifs of black twisted threads and strings extend along the openings at the chest and along the centre of the back. The latter opening is cross-fastened by means of a yellow rubber lace (probably a later addition), which passes through holes with sequins and is tied at the lower end of the garment. The right side of the chest features a composite decorative element with lozenges, braids and chequered motifs made of orange and light blue twisted strings. Similar elements are also found on other waistcoats. The yelekkin is lined with white cotton cloth.

In regard to its design and decoration, this example is similar to the waistcoat belonging to the costume of a Cypriot villager (late 19th century), now part of the National Historical Museum collection (Cypriot Costumes 1999, 147). Dimensions: 47x44 cm.

It belonged to the collection of Angeliki Pieridou and was donated to the Benaki Museum by George and Marina Pieridou, in 1981.   

Double-breasted zimbouni made of striped alatzia in blue and burgundy. The neck has a low standing collar. The front part consists of four pieces, two of which are triangular. The inner triangular side is fastened with black soutache. The zimbouni is fastened on the inside with woollen cords, crossing the right side over the left. The left fastening cord has a length of 10 cm. and the right of 23 cm. The front opening has a black soutache finish 37 cm in length, reaching to the point where the cords tie. The sleeves are sewn vertically onto the body, and for ease of movement, two right-angled triangles with a 13 cm. length and 8 cm. width have been added at the armpits, and are joined at their longest sides. The opening of the sleeves measures 9 cm. lengthwise and is lined with soutache, which continues along the entire edge of the sleeve, with a decorative loop in the middle. On the inside, the lower part of the sleeves is reinforced with two connected pieces of the same fabric. The inner part has a height of 6 cm. and vertical stripes. The outer piece has a height of 3 cm. with horizontal stripes. The inner reinforcement is visible when the sleeve is folded outward. The back consists of a single piece of fabric. The zimbouni is lined with beige cotton, on which the black thread of the machine-sewn seams is visible.

Dimensions: height 59.5 cm., width 47 cm. Collar: 2 cm. Sleeves: length 47.5 cm., width 16 cm.

A sleeved waistcoat (zimbouni) made of cotton alatzia with burgundy and yellow stripes, similar to the fabric of the vest CMLE 2686/2. The neck features a low standing collar. The front consists of four pieces, while the back is a single piece. The sleeves are sewn vertically to the body. Under the armpit, gussets (two triangular pieces of fabric, joined at their longest sides) have been added for ease of movement. At the lower ends, the two sleeves have an additional piece, a cuff with a height of 14 cm. and an opening of 12 cm. The opening of the sleeves is adorned with soutache with four loops for buttoning. All the buttons are missing. The opening of the sleeves is emphasised with two rows of white seams. On the front, the two pieces that cross over the chest are of triangular shape and fasten with two external black bone buttons on the left side, and with one internal button, of which only the loop is preserved. The two loops on the triangular piece of the right side are 9 and 11 cm. away from the bottom end, respectively, while the distance from the inner loop to the bottom end is 9 cm. The soutache of the back runs also along the front side, the bottom edge, and the collar. Additional emphasis is given by white seams all around the front sides and the collar. On the right side, there is an internal pocket with a handmade seam of black cord. The horizontal opening is decorated all around with soutache and double white seams. In the upper part, at the centre of the opening there is a small loop. The zimbouni is lined with beige cotton with double reinforcement on the left seam, which extends to the joining point with the left sleeve. The seams and the sleeve on the right side are also reinforced.

Dimensions: height 50 cm. width 45 cm. Sleeves: length 59 cm., width 19 cm.

Donated by: N. Triantafyllou. Purchased for 2.50 Cypriot pounds.

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 of a single piece joining at the sides, under the armpits, to the two front pieces, leaving two small openings at the lower part. There is a small standing collar and a vertical opening at the chest, lined with a braid of cord with 12 facing loops and 12 corresponding buttons, which constitute a later addition. On the right side of the chest, there is a horizontal opening for an inner pocket, which is lined with checkered alatzia in blue and red. The opening of the pocket is accentuated with black zigzag cord with small sewn-on pieces of red fabric and three tassels, two light-blue and one red. The vertical opening at the front is emphasised on both sides with a decorative band of zigzag lines and a floral motif, all made of thick blue cord. The patterns resemble stylised branches, embroidered in opposite directions, in a horizontal position. This decoration is enriched with scattered, sewn-on tiny pieces of fabric in red and blue. The shoulders, the collar and the arm openings are also emphasised with the zigzag line of blue cord. The garment is lined with beige cotton fabric. This type of rural vest is made of homemade alatzia woven on a loom. It is encountered frequently, varying according to the colours of the weave of the alatzia and the variation in handmade embroidered decoration (see for example a similar type of waistcoat from Mesaoria, in the Cyprus Folk Art Museum: Papademetriou 1991, 107, figure 72; see also the waistcoat in the Cypriot ethnographic collection of the Benaki Museum: Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou 2010, 112-113, no. 80).

Dimensions: height 50 cm., width 43 cm.

Purchased for 132 drachmas or 4.50 Cypriot pounds.

Double-breasted vest of blue figured velvet with black flowers. The front part consists of four pieces of fabric, of which the inner two, those which cross over the chest, are triangular. The back is made of a single piece of fabric, without an opening. On the right side of the chest, there is an internal pocket with an oval opening, decorated with black cord forming a zigzag line and loops. The joints, openings and bottom edge are decorated in a similar fashion, with zigzag lines and loops of black cord. There is off-white trim at the front opening and around the low standing collar. At the bottom edge of the inner triangular chest pieces, there are two loops which allow the waistcoat to close with buttons on both sides. The two buttons on the left side, one of which is on the inside, are later additions. The vest is lined with off-white cotton fabric.

Dimensions: height 42 cm., width 44 cm.

Donated by Nikos Triantafyllou. Purchased for 4.50 pounds in Cyprus.

Double-breasted vest with a standing collar. The front consists of four pieces of imported purple silk fabric with a bouquet of two red flowers with yellow stems and small leaves, and larger leaves in green. The vest has a small triangular opening on the chest and fastens diagonally on the left side with a black cord. All the openings are adorned with soutache. At the edge of the front opening, there is a series of loops made of cord, forming a festoon pattern. At each arm opening, a little below the shoulder, there is a decorative black tassel. The right side features an internal pocket with soutache at the opening. The bottom of the pocket is triangular. The outline of the pocket as a whole is emphasised with a double row of stitches, as are also the seams that join the pieces of fabric forming the front part of the garment. The back is a single piece of striped woollen fabric, with alternating brown and olive green stripes, accentuated by a herringbone pattern in olive green and beige. The back of the waistcoat is 10 cm shorter than the front, an interesting design feature also observed in other Cypriot waistcoats. The back has a central vertical opening and soutache loops. It is drawn tight with ribbons in red and blue. The collar is decorated with a double zigzag and is finished with soutache and double cord joined lengthways in the centre. The vest is lined with white fabric.

Dimensions: Front height 49 cm., back height 39 cm., width 43 cm.

Donation: N. Triantafyllou. Purchased for 4.50 Cypriot pounds.