Photograph of an agricultural scene no. 055

Photograph of an agricultural scene, taken in 1950.The persons working in the field are Kemal Çiftçioğlu (born in 1923) and his wife. In the background there are hills with sparse vegetation, and in the foreground a double-wheeled iron plough with a single ploughshare, pulled by a pair of oxen under a wooden yoke. The farmer and his wife are planting cotton seeds using a funnel (Turk. huni, GC fonín and TCy foni) fixed vertically into the plough; the seeds are thrown into the funnel and, as the wheels of the plough rotate, the seeds are distributed in the furrows. The farmer is wearing a white cotton shirt, woven on the loom with thread spun with a wooden spindle and distaff (kirmen and öreke), and grey trousers fastened with a belt at the waist. Although he is working in the sun, his head is uncovered. In his right hand he holds a long stick to guide the oxen. His wife is standing close to the plough and holds a copper bucket (bakraç) containing the seeds with which she feeds the funnel. Her head is covered with a scarf of white patterned fabric; the ends of the kerchief are tied under the chin. She wears a long dress made of cotton flannel cloth (bazen, pazen), gathered at the waist. Source: Hüseyin Çiftçioğlu (he donated the photograph to Aziz Damdelen). Village: Platanissos, Karpasia, Famagusta District.