LEFKARITIKO Embroidery from CYPRUS

Once a white on white drawn thread embroidery from Cyprus, today white linen is combined with dark ecru or cream imported linen with white thread.

CHARACTERISTICS

•  Geometrical designs
•  Cutwork and drawn thread areas of   varying sizes
•  Satin stitch motifs
•  Decorative hem stitch, used to designate the boundaries of designs
•  Edgings in needlelace

HISTORY

Textiles, weaving, lacemaking and embroidery were practised in Cyprus more than 2000 years ago. During the Byzantine period, the art of weaving costly textiles for the European market, mainly for ecclesiastical use, was centred in Constantinople . After the Crusades, this tradition became centred in Cyprus .

The embroidery designs were influenced by Venetian lace work brought to Cyprus by Venetian ladies between 1489 and 1571. The work was called Lefkaritika , after the village of Lefkara high in the mountains, the summer resort of wealthy Venetians, where the finest work was done. Local women, in daily contact with household linens, copied and adapted old needlework of 16thC Italy. White drawn thread work was used to decorate household linen, costume – fronts of men's shirts - and fronts, sleeves and side-openings of women's dresses.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Lefkara men travelled all over Europe selling their wares and taking orders to be fulfilled by their women folk at home. The needlework reached its zenith of intricacy and beauty between 1900-1930.

Lefkara cutwork is called   ‘ tayiadha ', from the Italian ‘ punto-tagliato '. The different patterns and motifs were each given individual names.
E.g. a repetitive, triangular, zig-zag called   ‘ Potamos ' meaning flow like a river.

MATERIALS

First materials were handspun pure cotton threads on thick handwoven Crypriot cotton cloth. Locally produced linen cloth was introduced around 1913. Later silk threads were used on silk cloth.

REFERENCE:

‘ Lefkara Lace Embroidery' by A Hadjiyiasemi , 1987, published in Cyprus  
www.cyculture.net/lefkara/htm/history.html
Article ‘ Lefkaritika , an embroidery of Cyprus ', Joan Hardingham , Embroidery Spring 1983

©Valerie Cavill , May 2008