Sarka

Inv. no. 215: Women’s sarka (waist jacket) made of black felt, with a low upright collar and long sleeves sewn vertically onto the body. The back consists of a single piece. At the front, two separate pieces fasten low, at the middle of the waist, forming a deep V-shaped opening. An additional gusset under each armpit provides ease of movement. The edges of the garment are trimmed with sewn-on gold bands, while a paisley motif decorates the bottom corners of the two front pieces, at the middle of the waist. The seam of the sleeves is accentuated with gold braid. The sarka is lined with blue fabric. This type of jacket is typical of Cyprus and was part of women’s formal costume in urban centres during the 19th century. It was soon adopted in rural areas, where it survived into the 20th century as festive and bridal costume. The sarka no. 215 is comparable to similar samples, such as one in the collection of Ino Stavridou-Hadjipavlou, in Limassol (Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou 1996, 137, fig. 122). Dimensions: Height 40 cm. Width: 40 cm. Sleeve length: 44.5 cm, width: 15 cm and 13 cm at the sleeve edge. Height of collar: 4.5 cm.