Double-breasted waistcoat no. 88

Double-breasted waistcoat (Turk: kavuşturma yelek) made of broadcloth. It belongs togeth­er with the breeches No. 087 and was worn above a chemise. The front part is made of two pieces of blue broadcloth (çuha/çufa) of the same size, and can be cross-fastened on either side by means of plaited silk thread buttons. On the shoulders, where each front part is stitched onto the back part, the width is 7.5cm. At the point of the crossing over the chest is the broadest part (28.5cm); then the piece becomes narrower downwards and is only 18cm at the lower edge. There are six buttons on either side; the buttons are spheri­cal, plaited with yellow cotton thread and covered with black twisted silk thread. The inside of the parts where the buttons and the buttonholes are found, are strengthened with additional pieces of broadcloth. A white cotton strip attached diagonally connects the buttons on the inside. The reinforced parts of broadcloth are covered with black spi­rals of applied embroidery and a wickerwork pattern, which extends on both sides of the opening up to the shoulder. On either side of the front there are two applied patterns: a broad oval leaf filled with black braids (gaitania, Turk: kaytan, gaytan) and twisted threads, ending in a small blossom filled with embroidery in green and orange silk thread. Next to the leaf is a long S-shaped motif with a spiral at the lower end and a blossom filled with embroidery in or­ange and green silk thread. The sides of the waistcoat, under the openings for the arms, consist of two pieces of purple (turned into brown with time) velvet (Turk: kadife), 4.5cm broad, which widen upwards to a width of 9cm. On the velvet pieces there are lozenge-shaped wickerwork patterns in green and orange, as well as blossoms filled with embroidery in green, orange and blue. On each side of the front there is an outer vase-shaped pocket made of originally purple velvet. The pocket covers the join of the front and side pieces, i.e. it is applied half on the velvet and half on the broadcloth piece. Each pocket is deco­rated with the same abstract vegetal pattern formed with thread twisted with thin metal wire (Turk: tel) sewn to the pocket. Purple and orange thread and black braids are sewn all round the pockets. Similar decoration is applied on all the edges of the waistcoat. The back is made of two pieces of broadcloth, 43cm long and 18.5cm wide. In the middle there is a vertical slit 28.5cm long, with eight metallic rivets (Turk: perçin) on either side and one at the top for a lace to go through and cross-fasten the opening, thus adjusting the waistcoat to the body of the wearer. From the neck to the top of the slit the joint of the two parts is decorated with a narrow piping (Turk: fitil) on each side (total width about 2cm). The back is decorated with lozenge patterns, curving floral motifs and two confronted birds on the uppermost part. The outline of the birds is made of twisted threads, purple, orange and black, the head is filled with gold metallic wire and the body and tail are filled with embroidery of orange and blue silk threads. Overall, every part of the waistcoat has multi-coloured braids, silk threads or twist­ed metal wires sewn to it, forming spiralling floral motifs, wickerwork pattern, lozenges, almond-shaped patterns, scrolls and spirals. This rich adornment calls to mind the motifs of Islamic inspiration incised on bronze utensils of the 18th and 19th centuries. The waistcoat is lined with off-white cotton material. All applied decoration is sewn on thick paper, which can be seen on the inside (the paper is sewn together with the ap­plied decoration). There are also pieces of thicker paper/cardboard. On these papers one can read advertisements in Greek, such as [ΕΡΓΟΣ]ΤΑΣΙΟΝ Η ΚΑΛΗ ΤΥΧΗ / ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΗ ΚΑΠΝΟΣ ΜΥΡΩΔΑΤΟΣ ΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ ΠΟΙΟΤΗΤΟΣ (Good Luck Factory Evangeli aromatic to­bacco of the best quality) Fabrique de T[abac].On another piece of paper inside, one can read: Manufacture of Tobacco G.O. Dianellos and Son. There is also the picture of a sun and above the sun: MINERVA KΑΠΝΟΣ ΓΕΝΙΤΣ… ΜΥΡΩ[ΔΑΤΟΣ] (tobacco YENICE aromatic) Bazar Street 35 ΛΑΡΝΑΚΙ ΚΥΠΡΟΣ (Larnaca Cyprus)