Vest (yelekkin)

Men’s double-breasted vest. The front consists of two pieces of burgundy velvet, with sewn-on black decoration. On each side, there are eight buttons made of black silk arranged diagonally, with tassels at the end (one button is missing). The loops of the buttons are affixed to a lattice pattern of double black thread, and reinforced internally with off-white cord, also arranged diagonally. The buttonholes are decorated with soutache and twisted cord, which extends into spiral patterns. The opening of the chest is adorned on both sides with dense sewn-on embroidery forming a black lattice pattern, which is surrounded by series of soutache and twisted cord with small spirals. The embroidery ends in a series of loops of twisted cord. The four middle buttonholes on the right side are decorated with more complex sewn-on embroidery in black, each ending in a row of four spirals. Below, the edge of the front side is adorned with quadruple soutache and lattice embroidery with spirals. On the right side, there is a vase-shaped pocket of black velvet with a curvilinear outline of black soutache and four rows of tricolour cord. The pointed base ends in a tassel. The year 1900 is embroidered in the centre of the pocket, and decorated above and below with green and orange cords in a chain-like design, with spirals at the tips. The right side of the chest features a small, colourful and elaborate decorative motif in a triangular shape, finished at the bottom end with a triple spiral of blue cord, while the top end features five small spirals around the perimeter.   The back consists of two pieces of black velvet with a seam above the central, vertical opening, which is crowned with a decorative lozenge design ending in curvilinear and spiral patterns, similar to those of the vest 3459. The lozenge is covered with lattice embroidery of blue cord. The entire motif is made of three cords in orange, blue and tricolour (black, orange and burgundy). The opening of the back closes with a braid, made of red, blue and yellow cord which crosses through pairs of eyelets. Nine out of the 13 eyelets are preserved. The opening is surrounded by a double row of blue and tricolour thread, and a band of lattice patterns made of orange and green cords, which extend to the bottom edges on both sides. On the inside of the lattice patterns is a double row of blue and tricolour thread. The bottom edge and the opening are decorated with black soutache and tricolour cord.   The vest is lined with off-white cotton fabric. Behind the buttonholes on both sides, there is a reinforcing piece of brown woollen fabric, 1 – 6.5 cm. wide. The inside of the opening of the chest/neck has a reinforcing band with dark blue, white and purple stripes.     On the left and right side, the off-white cotton lining features a circular ink stamp, with ΛΕΥΚΩΣΙΑ ΚΥΠΡΟΣ (LEFKOSIA CYPRUS) written in the centre and ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΣ ΦΙΛΗΣ ΠΑΡΑΓΩΓΟΣ (GEORGIOS FILIS MANUFACTURER) around the perimeter. On the right side, there is an additional oval stamp with the words ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΣ ΛΕΥΚΩΣΙΑ (KONSTANTINOS LEFKOSIA). 2 AA are written in ink.   Dimensions: height 39.5 cm., width 42.5 cm.   Donation: Ch. Koutlidou