Vest (yelekkin)

Men’s double-breasted vest (yelekkin). The front is made of ready-made striped black fabric, and the back of black velvet. The front consists of two pieces of fabric that cross over the chest on both sides. This is also apparent in the arrangement of the buttons. On the right side of the chest are eight buttons and nine buttonholes, arranged diagonally. On the left, there are also eight buttons, fastened diagonally. Cord is sewn on the inside, and further up there is a single button. All the buttons are black, as is the decoration, which consists of a design along the base of the buttons, continuous spirals arranged diagonally on the chest, dense sewn-on cords forming a wide band around the opening of the neck, and a mesh pattern at the lower edge. On the right side of the front, there is a vase-shaped pocket with an outline of coloured cords. A horizontal embroidered band divides the pocket’s surface into two parts. On the top part, the date 1912, the year the waistcoat was made, is embroidered in orange, and on the bottom part, also in orange colour, the initials ΠΓ (PG), belonging to the owner. On the chest, above the pocket, sewn-on cords form a small, colourful decorative pattern, rectangular in shape with a mat design filling, surrounded by tiny spirals in yellow/orange, blue, and burgundy colours. This peculiar decorative motif is characteristic of other vests in the collection of the Costume Museum of the Lykeion ton Ellinidon, as well as other Cypriot collections, such as that of the Folklore Historical Museum of Corinth.   The back is made of a single piece of black velvet, which extends below the armpits and is joined with coloured seams to the front pieces. In the centre of the back, there is a vertical opening that would have been closed with some kind of ribbon passing through the remaining eyelets for a better fit on the body. The opening is bordered with sewn-on cord in blue, green, and orange, forming a decorative band of lattice pattern, which extends around the sides of the vest. The ends of the decorative band are adorned with tiny burgundy spirals.   A pair of leaf-shaped motifs in green and burgundy adorn the top of the opening on the back of the vest. The decoration continues with a lozenge filled with a mat design, as well as stylised floral patterns in a vertical arrangement. The vest is lined with off-white cotton fabric, and the neck opening is reinforced with braid.   Dimensions: height 35 cm., width 41 cm.   Donation: N. Triantafyllou.