Portrait of Hadjigeorgakis Kornessios
Gender information of the object:
Color:
Type:
Primary Material:
Source:
Department of Antiquities
Code:
48
Translator:
Euphrosyne Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou
Description:
Hadjigeorgakis Kornessios, Dragoman of Cyprus (1779-1809) is wearing anteri (over a shirt which is not visible), a belt around the waist, tzouppe lined with fur (gunna), and kalpaki. The anteri is a long dress closed up to the neck, with a round neckline. It is made of luxurious red fabric, most probably brocade, covered with scale patterns in golden colour. Tzouppe is a long red robe lined with white fur most probably ermine. The fur forms the inner side of the long overcoat and can be seen around the neck, along the opening in front and at the lower edge at the sleeves. The tzouppe is covered outside with a valuable cloth in red colour, symbol of power. The kalpaki is two-pointed and is consists of a red cap made of telâtin surrounded by sable fur. The red telâtin (Russian leather) is clearly visible on the top of the headdress. In his right hand he is wearing a ring set with a ruby and in his left hand he is holding a firman (or berat).The head seems to be fully shaved. He also has a long black moustache. The dragoman is sitting on a wooden sofa with cushions made of silk blue-grey striped cloth.
Bibliography:
Rizopoulou - Egoumenidou, E.,1996, Urban dress of Cyprus during the 18th and 19th centuries, Nicosia. Rizopoulou - Egoumenidou, E., 1991, The House of the dragoman, Nicosia.
Rizopoulou - Egoumenidou, E. and Damdelen, A., 2012, Aziz Damdelen, Turkish Cypriot dress The Aziz Damdelen Collection, Nicosia. Given, M. and Hadjianastasis, 2010, “Landholding and Landscape in Ottoman Cyprus”, BGMS, 34 (1): 38-60.
Ριζοπούλου-Ηγουμενίδου, Ε., 2020, Κατάστιχον Περιουσίας του Δραγομάνου της Κύπρου Χατζηγεωργάκη Κορνέσιου, Λευκωσία: Ίδρυμα Αναστάσιος Γ. Λεβέντης, 503-507.
References/Remarks:
1. The Portrait of Hadjigeorgakis in formal Ottoman court dress and prominently displaying his firman from the Sultan proclaims his identity as a member of the Ottoman elite. (Given and Hadjianastasis 2010, p 46)
2. This type of costume was complemented with tzaktziria (Turk. çakşır, baggy breeches), usually red, onto which were sewn the mestia or meskia (Turk. mest) footwear made of Morocco leather in the priv¬ileged yellow colour.
3. Tzaktziria made of red şal (woolen cloth) are mentioned in the list of property of Hadjigeorgakis (1 τζακτζήριν του άρχωντος άλικον σαλίν.)
4. This ring is most probably the one recorded (after the execution of the dragoman) among the valuables of Hadjigeorgakis family in the list of his property: “one big ruby ring belonging to the deceased” (ένα δακτυλήδι ρουπίνιν μεγάλον μακαρίτου)