Vest (yelekkin)

Men's double-breasted vest. The front part consists of two pieces of grey silk fabric, while the back is made of a single piece of black velvet. On the right front side, there is a vase-shaped pocket outlined by orange, yellow, green and red threads. The date 1963 is embroidered in yellow thread in the centre of the pocket’s surface. The vest is fastened across the chest with six buttons. It is adorned all around with black braid, which also surrounds the buttonholes, while a wide sewn-on decorative trim accentuates the neck opening. There is a decorative rectangular design on the right side of the chest, with a zigzag pattern on the inside and tiny spirals all around, embroidered with red, light blue, green, and yellow threads. The back of the vest has a central vertical opening with 12 white metallic eyelets arranged in facing pairs, through which cross light blue cords. Around the opening and edges, the vest is decorated with a machine-embroidered chain-like design in yellow and green colours. At the top of the opening, there is an elaborate embroidered decorative pattern consisting of a lozenge extending upwards and downwards with stylised floral motifs. Similar colourful decorative elements characterise traditional Cypriot vests.   Dimensions: height 42 cm., width 46 cm.   Donation: I. Papantoniou.