Sarka

Sarka, women’s short long-sleeved jacket made of black felt, with sewn-on decoration. The sarka consists of one piece of fabric, which covers the chest and most of the back, with additional pieces covering the body under the armpits and extending to the back. The sleeves are made of separate pieces of felt, which are sewn vertically onto the body. The chest has a deep oval opening, which becomes straight at its lower part, where it closes with five hook-and-eye type clasps. Around the opening of the chest, all around the bottom edge and at the edges of the sleeves, there is a sewn-on decorative band of twisted cord and golden thread, which form continuous spirals of stylised floral motifs with a chain-like finish. Along the perimeter of the waist, below the sewn-on decoration, there are three silk ribbons in olive green, coral and bright blue colour, sewn on the felt. The sarka is lined with beige cotton fabric, and the bottom edges of the sleeves are lined with a deep red silk fabric with interwoven floral motifs. It is preserved in quite a good condition, although in many places the sewn-on decoration has come apart.   This type of floral decoration is quite common and characterises many Cypriot sarkes, which are part of the bridal or festive Amalia-style costume, initially urban and later also rural (as indicative examples, see sarkes dating between 1850 and1870, from Peristeronopigi, a village in the Ammochostos district, in Michalopoulou-Charalambous 1993, 196-197).   Dimensions: height 39.5 cm., width 43 cm. Sleeves: length 45 cm., width 17-19 cm.