Nicosia The Aziz Damdelen Collection

Girdle (uçkur/uşgur) made of beige, factory-produced cotton cloth. One long side has a loom-woven selvedge (kenar), the other three a hem made with the sewing machine. The two narrow sides are ornamented with the same flower pattern embroidered with gold wire (tel) in filling (dolgu işi) stitch. The flowers are arranged on either side of a horizontal band which has one straight side and the other wavy. There are five flowers with stems on each side, completely filled with gold wire (tel) and outlined with gold thread in backstitch (iğne ardı). They are similar with the double-faced (çevre) embroidery. It seems that the metal gold thread had finished before they completed the same pattern of the other side; therefore, the last flower was partly filled with two colours, green and mauve, thus adding some colour to the monochrome decoration. Width: 21cm. Length: 2.38m.

Cotton cloth, off-white with selvedge on both long sides. The narrow ends are cut. The decoration on the narrow sides comprises five groups of flower patterns separated lengthwise by pencil lines, marking the cuttings for making five girdles. Each pattern consists of groups of motifs arranged in two rows. On the upper row, a thick wavy line encloses within its curves a composition of three stems with leaves and flowers on top, four in all. Below this, in the second row, the same pattern is repeated in a simplified form, only three stems in each curve. This row was not finished, since three of the patterns are marked in pencil but not embroidered. The stitches applied are stem stitch (sap işi) and filling stitch (dolgu işi) for the flowers. The colours used are dark green, light mauve, beige, lilac, purple and orange, in different combinations. Total width: 87cm. Width of the individual girdles, according to the marking: 17.5cm, 17cm, 16.5cm, 18cm and 18cm, respectively. Length: 2.12m.

White cotton cloth with loom-woven selvedge on one long side; the other three sides are cut. On both narrow ends the same embroidered pattern, a row of eight groups of flowers, is repeated eight times. Each group is a synthesis of three flowers repeated on either side of a horizontal zigzag line running in the middle. Each flower has three petals and one leaf on either side of its stem, forming a V. The embroidery is made with simple filling stitch (dolgu işi). All stems and the zigzag line are embroidered with orange thread in backstitch (iğne ardı; ardın ardın = backwards) or sap işi stitch (sap = stalk, stem, also to deviate, to turn off in a different direction). The flowers are mauve and lilac, only six of them completely green. The same colours are used for the leaves. Between each group of flowers, on both sides, there are vertical lines made with a pencil to mark the cutting in order to make eight separate girdles (uçkur/uşgur). Width: 76cm, 9.5cm for each girdle. Length: 2.10m.

A long and broad piece of cloth made of woven cotton in ivory/cream colour with embroidery on the extremities of both narrow sides. The decoration consists of four (on one side three and a half) groups, each comprising three rows of three cypress trees in oblique arrangement, forming a square. The last group comprises three rows of two trees. Below each group is a series of six stylized floral patterns in a rectangular frame. The last group is made of five patterns. The trees are embroidered with coloured threads in various combinations of yellow, orange, red, lilac, mauve and pink; the stems green. The same colours are used for the decoration on the lower part, in different order and combination. One long side has a loom-woven selvedge (kenar), while the other long side, as well as the narrow ends, were simply cut with no special finishing. It should be noted that between each group of patterns there is a line made by removing a couple of threads. These lines marked the point where the cloth was intended to be cut lengthwise in order to make four separate girdles (uçkur/uşgur) out of it. This type of girdle had to be narrow, because it passed through the hem of the drawers or underwear. Since only the ends were visible, decoration was only applied on them. This example clearly shows that the girdles were first made in one piece and then cut. Its length is 2.02m and the total width 72cm. According to the marking shown by the drawn threads, they intended to make four separate girdles having a width of 20cm, 20cm, 18cm and 14cm respectively.

Girdle (uçkur/uşgur) which passes through the hem of the underwear (iç donu) and is fastened in front to show the two embroidered edges. It is made of silk in its natural, ivory colour. One long side has a loom-woven selvedge, the other three sides a narrow hem made with the sewing machine. The decoration consists of two different floral patterns side by side; the first comprises two flowers with five petals each, embroidered with blue or mauve and dark red thread. Between the petals are fine linear patterns in backstitch. The stems are yellow, the leaves off-white outlined in dark green. Between the two flowers, above and below, there are star-shaped motifs with a small hole in the middle. One drawn thread forms a line separating the flowers from the next pattern, namely two groups of three flowers in oblique arrangement with similar leaves and four stars. The colours here are bright pink (gypsy pink, çingene pembesi) for two flowers of each group, yellow for the stem and off-white for the leaves which have dark green contours. One flower in each group is dark red, another has two colours, off-white and dark red, with a dark green contour like the leaves. The embroidery is fine with well made filling stitch (dolgu işi), and backstitch (iğne ardı) for stems and other lines. Two girdles could be made out of this piece, each 14cm wide (total width 28cm). Length: 1.66m.

Man’s underwear girdle (erkek don uçkuru/uşguru) made of ivory cotton cloth. On all four sides it is finished with a hem made with a sewing machine. It is decorated with simple, fine embroidery in thin gold wire (tel). The decoration comprises four flowers, most probably stylized tulips, with four crosses between them. The stem of the flowers ends with horizontal projections, one on either side. The ground below is formed by six separate motifs with wavy outlines. The embroidery is made with filling stitch (dolgu işi) in fine execution. Width: 19cm. Length: 2.39m.

Waist girdle (uçkur/uşgur) made of cotton cloth, with hand embroidery on both narrow ends. The decoration consists of five groups of patterns, each comprising four long stems with branches in different colours; from right to left, the motifs are purple, bluish-mauve, light green, then again purple and bright blue. Through the middle of each group runs a horizontal zigzag line embroidered with thin gold metal wire (tel). The other end is decorated with the same patterns in corresponding colours. The edge of one long side is formed by a loom-woven selvedge (kenar), while the other side is simply cut. Probably, it was intended to make five long and narrow girdles out of this piece. This is indicated by a pencil line, which separates each group, marking the strips which would form separate girdles. Width: 38cm. Length: 1.53m.

Girdle (uçkur/uşgur) made of silk. On all four sides there is a narrow hem made with the sewing machine. The ends of the narrow sides are covered with embroidered decoration in filling stitch (dolgu işi), each with two rows of eight stems made of silver wire (tel), one above the other. On either side, as well as on top and bottom of the stems, there are leaves in red colour. The last patterns of each row are folded and stitched into the hem, which means that initially there was a broader embroidered surface, which was cut to make more girdles. Below the patterns runs a wavy line, made of silver wire, with repeated triple (three united) leaves between its curves, in alternating green and red colour. The wavy line is interrupted in about the middle of its course. The other end has the same pattern with six stems in each row instead of eight. Here there is also orange colour in addition to green and red for the leaves. The wavy line below the patterns is partly folded over and stitched into the seam. At this edge a drawn thread separates two of the motifs from the other four, probably to mark an intended cutting. However, the patterns of the two sides do not correspond exactly, and, if they cut it, the cutting would cross through the embroidered motifs. Width: 21cm. Length: 2.44m.

Girdle (uçkur/uşgur) made of silk. Simple hem on all sides. A drawn thread in the middle indicates that it was intended to cut the piece lengthwise and make two girdles. The decoration on the narrow ends of the first girdle comprises the same upright flower as one of the two patterns of Nos 107 and 112. Two similar seven-petalled flowers, embroidered with blue thread, are repeated side by side. The stem and centre of the flower are bright yellow, the leaves beige with dark green outline. Linear motifs between the petals are turned into a spiral under the flowers and under the leaves. Three stars between the two flowers, two of them pink and the middle one yellow, in a vertical arrangement, complete the adornment for the first girdle. Exactly the same patterns are repeated on the other end. The only slight difference is that one petal is completed with dark blue thread. The same type of flowers but with five petals and in dark red (purple) colour form the decoration for the second girdle. Three star-shaped motifs with a hole in the centre are vertically arranged between the flowers, two purple and one pink in the centre. The other end is decorated with the same patterns and colour combination, with the exception of the three stars which are all dark red/purple. The embroidery is made with two different stitches (filling stitch, dolgu işi, and backstitch, iğne ardı). Total width: 26cm, 13cm each girdle. Length: 1.66m.

Long and narrow waistband (uçkur/uşgur) made of silk fabric. The length is 1.66m and the width 13cm. One long side has a loom-woven selvedge (kenar dokuma), while the other side has a hem 7mm wide, formed by simple turning of the cloth and sewing it with the sewing machine. The same turned-over hem is found on the narrow sides. Both ends are embroidered with silk threads in floral designs. They consist of two flowers in bright pink colour, yellow stem and centre, and beige leaves with black outline. Between these two flowers are three minute flowers, a yellow one in the middle and two in pink, one above and one below. The same pattern is repeated on both ends, but on one end the two small flowers are embroidered with red (kırmızı) thread.