pantaloons

ΜΓ 387   Women’s pantaloons of thick loom-woven cotton, adorned with cross-stitch embroidery at their lower ends.   Each leg’s front consists of a single fabric panel, reaching from top to bottom, and extending to the outer back side. At the back, an additional fabric section (width: 21.5 cm and 11 cm at the gathered bottom) is joined to the front leg piece with handmade vertical seams, one along the inner thigh and another externally. At the crotch, between the two legs, a square piece of fabric (side length: 41 cm) is placed diagonally, forming two triangular sections, one at the front and one at the back. The handmade seams of this piece feature a low hem, measuring 0.3-0.8 cm in width.   To secure the pantaloons, a gathering string runs through the 1 cm hem, around the lower end of each leg. The embroidered decoration reaches a height of 13.5 cm and develops in successive horizontal bands, defined by single black cross-stitch lines. Along the bottom part, a 2 cm-tall band contains a row of oblique, double cross-stitch lines in red on one leg and in alternating red and black on the other. A broader central band, 6.5 cm tall, features a black zig-zag line that creates two rows of consecutive opposite-facing triangles. All triangles are filled with small squares (side length: 0.5 cm) alternating between red and black in diagonal rows. Small triangles extend along the sides of the bigger ones. This pattern creates a solid embroidered zone where the white loom fabric subtly peeks through small interstices. Further up, a low band, measuring 2 cm in height, contains a row of lozenges alternating between red and black (side length: 2 cm). At the top, 2.5 cm-tall stylized floral motifs, resembling palm trees (foinitzies), consist of a triangle above a lozenge. These motifs rest on a black cross-stitch line. At the back of each leg, the embroidery is interrupted at the width of the added fabric section. This part is decorated with two sapling motifs, one red and the other black (height: 7-8 cm). The red motif on one leg resembles the black motif on the other.   The pantaloons gather around the waist, which features a 3 cm-tall hem casing with a bulky drawstring of thick braided cotton yarn, measuring 1 cm in width.   Height: 84 cm. Waist width: 36 cm (gathered). Leg width: (in the upper part) (in the lower part). Date of entry to the Collection: 8.7.1983 Provenance: Theletra, Pafos – Purchased from Despoinou Nikola.