colorful

Cypriot costume of the “Amalia” type. It consists of the following pieces: Off-white silk chemise with a V opening at the chest, decorated with handmade pipilla (needle lace), which also adorns the edges of the sleeves.The puple skirt is ankle-length with rich folds at the waistline.  Sarka made of black felt with straight, long sleeves sewn vertically onto the shoulders, and a low upright collar. It closes above the waist, forming a large V opening at the bust. The collar, the sleeves and all the edges have a rich decoration of sewn-on gold cords. On both sides of the chest, the decoration extends into a paisley design. Even the seams of the sleeves are accentuated with gold decorative braid. The outfit is completed with a silver necklace. The “Amalia” costume was established in Cyprus before the mid-19th century. It was initially the formal attire worn by women in the urban centres, where it was preserved until the adoption of European dress. Later it was adopted in rural areas, where it was used as a festive or bridal outfit even as late as the first decades of the 20th century.     

Costume with sayia. It consists of a woven shirt embellished with silk pipilla (needle lace) and fine embroidery of light blue flowers at the visible part of the chest. The sayia is worn on top of the shirt. It is made of silk-cotton striped alatzia with alternating white and yellow stripes, and has brown thread decoration at the edges. The garment is long-sleeved and open at the front. The lower part of the sleeves is lined with a colourful printed fabric, which is visible in the opening of the sleeves and on the small pocket on the right side of the chest. The sayia is long enough to cover the knees, revealing the rich loom embroidery on the lower part of the cotton pantaloons, which are worn as underwear. The sayia closes at the waist with a colourful sash made of striped fabric. (for sayies made of a similar striped fabric, see Cypriot Costumes 1999, 133, and Papadimitriou 1995, 112).

Ind. no. 221: A rectangular piece of cotton, woven textile with dense fythkiotika patterns and a series of stylised trees at the upper end. The principal colours of the embroidered decoration are red and blue, with a little yellow and light green in the fills, which illuminate the design. This piece of textile served as the lower end of women's pantaloons (povratzin, underpants). A selvedge is discernible at one end (for a similar design, see a 19th century povratzin of Karpass in Papadimitriou 1996, 13, fig. 17).

Dimensions: 46 x 30 cm. Embroidery height: 25 cm.

The povratzia inv. nos. 222, 220 and 221 were bought by Loukis Pierides from Mrs. Lewis.

Ind. no. 220: A rectangular piece of cotton woven textile with dense, pefkoto embroidery, typical of the Karpas (karpasitiko) style, with a series of stylised trees at the upper end. It adorned the lower part of a pantaloon. The predominant colours are red and blue, namely the oldest colours used in such embroideries, with a touch of olive green and yellow. One edge is finished with thick crochet lace (pipilla smiliou) (see a similar design in a povratzin from Fyti, in Pierides 1980, pl. I:b).

Dimensions: 47.5 x 28.5 cm. The embroidery extends to a height of 24 cm.

Ind. no. 222: Piece of thick cotton, woven textile, covered with dense, pefkoto embroidery made on the loom. The design consists of two different compositions of consecutive lozenges in black and red. Yellow/gold and silver threads, used in a lesser extend for the fillings, illuminate the dark-coloured embroidery. The fabric is rectangular in shape. On one side, there is a finish of thick decorative braid, roughly made of blue thread. This textile piece comprises the lower end of women's pantaloons (povratzin), a characteristic element of the costume of Paphos and Karpass. The embroidered lower part of pantaloons was visible under the chemise and the sayia (for similar examples see Pieridou 1976, pl. III).

Dimensions: 57 x 24.5 cm.

Inv. no. 210: Costume with sayia, typical of the Karpasia region. It consists of a woven shirt embellished with silk pipilla (needle lace) and fine embroidery of light blue flowers at the visible part of the chest. The sayia is worn on top of the shirt. It is made of silk-cotton striped alatzia with alternating white and burgundy stripes, and has gold thread decoration at the edges. The garment is long-sleeved and open at the front. The lower part of the sleeves is lined with a colourful printed fabric, which is visible in the opening of the sleeves and on the small pocket on the right side of the chest. The sayia is long enough to cover the knees, revealing the rich loom embroidery on the lower part of the cotton pantaloons, which are worn as underwear. The sayia closes at the waist with a colourful sash made of striped fabric. The costume is completed with white socks and black laced shoes, as well as with the headscarf no. 218 (for sayies made of a similar striped fabric, see Cypriot Costumes 1999, 133, and Papadimitriou 1995, 112).

Inv. no. 296: Cypriot costume of the “Amalia” type. It consists of the following pieces:

1. Off-white silk chemise with a V opening at the chest, decorated with handmade pipilla (needle lace), which also adorns the edges of the sleeves.
2. A skirt made of imported fabric with stripes in vivid red, yellow and green, as well as  delicate designs in lighter colours, all in a vertical arrangement. The skirt is ankle-length with rich folds at the waistline. A blue ribbon with a red band in the middle extends all around, above the hem.

This type of colourful fabric, which was common in Cyprus, in particular after the mid-19th century, was also used to make sarkes (waist jackets with long sleeves). In certain regions (Mesaoria), these jackets, matched with a skirt, were called “misirkotika”, probably a reference to the origin of the fabric in Misir (Egypt) (photographs of “misirkotika” see in Michalopoulou-Charalampous 1993, 199).

1. Sarka made of black felt with straight, long sleeves sewn vertically onto the shoulders, and a low upright collar. It closes above the waist, forming a large V opening at the bust. The collar, the sleeves and all the edges have a rich decoration of sewn-on gold cords. On both sides of the chest, the decoration extends into a paisley design. Even the seams of the sleeves are accentuated with gold decorative braid.
2. A red fez with a long thick tassel made of black silk threads. This dangling tassel falls on the chest, while a second tassel is fixed on the top of the fez, forming the tepeliki.

The outfit is completed with jewellery, a clasp, a necklace and a pin (for jewellery, see below). The “Amalia” costume was established in Cyprus before the mid-19th century. It was initially the formal attire worn by women in the urban centres, where it was preserved until the adoption of European dress. Later it was adopted in rural areas, where it was used as a festive or bridal outfit even as late as the first decades of the 20th century.          

Woman’s headscarf made of kouroukla, dyed with a dark black colour. It is decorated with printed floral motifs, composed of branches with leaves and red flowers that are arranged diagonally along the edges of the headscarf. In the centre, in a black background there is four floral composition one at each corner. 

ΜΓ 385

Formal foustanin of striped silk(?) imported fabric with gold, blue and fine red-white stripes. Because of its weave, the gold colour is not visible internally. Cotton alatzia with broad burgundy stripes, alternating with intricate bands of black-delimited white and green stripes, is used on the breast, the waistband and part of the back. That specific part of the dress is particularly worn from long use, showing altered colours, especially under the armpits. Beige cotton fabric has been added to the lower part of the back.

The dress has a simple neckline and a vertical opening at the front, 44 cm tall, which reaches below the waist at a height of 11-12 cm. Fine ready-made(?) banded lace is sewn onto the right side of the opening. Similar lace was probably originally featured on the left side of the breast too. At the front, either side of the breast consists of two panels of cotton alatzia, hand-sewn with red thread. The lower panel, 5.5 cm in height, as well as the waistband, 3.5-4 cm tall, are made of the same alatzia but preserve their original vibrant colours. The upper panels extend to the back in a single fabric piece, 5.5 cm in height. Its lower part, which is joined to the cotton fabric that forms the lower part of the back up to the waistband (height: 17.5 cm, width: 37.5 cm), also features more vibrant colours.

The stripes of the alatzia are horizontal on the waistband. Either side of the front opening extends to a tongue-shaped end made of an added band of a different fabric (10 cm long on the left and 7 cm long on the right). Each extension features a hook, paired to an eye on the waistband, one internally and the other externally. A blue trimming band, densely stitched with orange thread, runs along the entire length of the opening and the extensions of the waistband.

The skirt is wide, densely gathered in the upper part, where it is joined to the waistband. It comprises four pieces of fabric, 60 cm wide each, with the stripes in horizontal arrangement. The blue selvedge is discernible at the handmade joints. At 30 cm over the hem, 4.5 cm-wide lace with consecutive yellow-gold lozenges, is stitched by hand (basting) with white thread along the upper side, whereas the lower side is unstitched. A reinforcing band of white cotton fabric, 3.5-5 cm wide, is hand-stitched with orange cotton thread.

The sleeves are made of the same silk fabric as the skirt, with the stripes in horizontal arrangement. Sewn vertically to the body, they consist of a single fabric piece with an inseam. Two gussets of striped cotton alatzia, red with fine yellow stripes, have been added to each armpit to repair wear. A 14 cm- tall opening is featured at the lower end of each sleeve. A decorative sewn-in braid runs around the edge of the sleeve. Small loops are created in two places on the braid whereas a small tassel is featured at the middle of the opening’s one side.

The bodice of the dress is lined with various types of fabrics: white-beige cotton fabric with red criss-cross stripes for the body; plain white cotton on the sleeves, up to the opening, and for the lower part alatzia with blue, yellow, green and burgundy stripes (height of lining at the opening: 23 cm).

In the Registry of the Museum the dress has been entered as a wedding dress. The poorly preserved upper part of the dress suggests that, albeit originally formal, the garment had been overused.

Height: 125 cm (bodice: 33 cm, skirt: 92 cm).

Width: 36 cm at the waist.

Length of sleeves: 51.5 cm.

Width of sleeves: 13 cm.

Date of entry to the Collection: 8.7.1983

Provenance: Theletra, Pafos – Purchased from Despoinou Nikola.

ΜΓ 680

Long and long-sleeved traditional type dress of print silk-cotton imported fabric with taiston stripes, framed by gold green bands according to a pattern of one band-four stripes-one band. On the main side of the fabric, the gold green bands are covered with a shiny gold colour. On the same side, dispersed embossed vegetal motifs emerge against an off-white background: slender leaved branches with flowers and buds in different shades of purple, yellow and blue. The pollen is rendered in yellow and surrounded by small colourful dots. Its centre is also decorated with a small dot. Of note is the fact that the gold bands run over the printed motifs.

The dress consists of a bodice and a skirt, joined at the waist with a waistband. The bodice is formed by a single fabric piece at the front and back, with a seam under the armpits. The entire bodice, including the sleeves, is lined with thick loom-woven cotton.

The simple circular neckline extends to an opening, 25 cm in height, up to the waist. Both the neckline and the opening are hemmed with a purple trimming band, within which runs a handmade decorative fishbone stitch in olive green. The opening fastens at the waist with two hooks and continues under the added waistband at a height of 13 cm (total height of the opening from the neckline to the bottom edge: 49 cm).

The waistband is formed by an added, 5 cm-tall piece of fabric with horizontal stripes. On either side of the opening, two opposite-facing tongues of the same purple trimming band are sewn with black thread (length: 8.5 cm, height: 5 cm). The tongues are framed internally and externally by handmade fishbone stitches, similar to those at the opening of the breast.

The sleeves, sewn vertically to the body, are made of a single fabric piece with an external seam on the upper arm. An added piece of fabric, which tapers from the upper to the lower edge of the sleeve (width: 11 cm in the upper edge, 5 cm in the lower edge) is joined to the left sleeve with a second lengthwise seam, further down, on the outer side of the arm. The broad hem on the sleeves is adorned with light blue scalloped edging along a straight line. The hem and the decorative elements are hand-sewn with black thread.

The wide skirt consists of five panels, four 65-66 cm wide and one 60 cm wide. At the waist, the fabric of the  skirt is folded inwards and gathers in dense pleats, secured with two horizontal seams of thick thread. Ready-made black lace, 4 cm wide, secured in the upper part with handmade stitch, runs at a height of 30 cm above the hem. The free edge of the lace is scalloped and the other one straight, whereas rows of four-petal flowers run in-between them. A small pleat is formed all around the skirt, where the lace is held in place. The hemline is reinforced internally with an added band of a different fabric, also imported (height: 3.5-4 cm), off-white in colour with small red flowers in a row lengthwise. The edge of the skirt is adorned with a purple trimming band, hand-sewn using black thread. Higher up, a finer red ribbon survives in fragments. It was secured with the same black thread used to sew the inner hemline reinforcement.

The dress is used and, in several parts, stained. It is generally a youthful dress, and albeit made of imported fabric, entirely hand-sewn based on established formal standards.

Height: 123 cm (bodice: 33 cm up to the waistband, skirt: 90 cm).

Width: 40 cm, 167 cm around the hemline.

Length of sleeves: 44 cm.

Width of sleeves: 18 cm in the upper part, 13 cm in the lower part.

The two front panels on the bodice are 20 cm wide.

Date of entry to the Collection: 16.1.1990

Provenance: Palaiometocho, Nicosia – Purchased from Ero Farmaka.