LOVE FOR LACE REKINDLED

LOVE FOR LACE REKINDLED

text Alexia Evripidou

photography Louca Studios

After slipping temporarily into the shadow of our fast-paced contemporary society, the art and traditions of Cypriot lacemaking are making a comeback, with dedicated exhibitions, definitive publications, and above all local groups that are committed to the preservation of this beautiful cultural heritage.

Bibilla is a fine-knottedlace used mainly in round shapes such as doilies and tablecloths. A finer version was used to embellish dresses and other garments.

Although the precise origins of lace are undetermined, the craft is believed to date back to 16th century Venice. Evidence also suggests that Cyprus’s own lacemaking traditions coincided with and were strongly influenced by their Venetian counterpart as the island was under Venetian rule at the time.

For generations, the intricate techniques were religiously passed down from mother to daughter; yet over time their initial glamour began to fade. Fortunately, a movement to save the country’s centuries-old textile traditions is gathering momentum, and in doing so it is stitching a new future for this ancestral legacy.

A THRIVING COTTAGE INDUSTRY

Centuries ago, lace and lace embroidery (LLE) were a prominent aspect of Cypriot culture. Women would spend years embroidering bedspreads, curtains, tablecloths and other embellishments, whether for home use, as a source of income, or as an integral part of every woman’s dowry.

A current exhibitionat the Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia offers insights into the styles, methods and history of Cyprus lace. The exhibition runs until 31 October 2016.

Cypriot lace trade flourished in the 18th and 19th century as LLE was purchased by foreign travellers to embellish their clothes, but also sold abroad by travelling merchants. One of the first such merchants to travel overseas from the village of Lefkara with the unmistakable ‘lefkaritiko’ – the most prominent ‘representative’ of Cypriot lace – was Michalis Militos. So popular was his merchandise that in 1933 he was invited to present samples at Buckingham Palace. For the small island of Cyprus, the lace trade was a huge industry; a cottage industry fed by women who worked in the fields during the day, raised children, kept house, and then spent hours needling, threading and embroidering. They would work from home or gather in the streets, with a hard handmade cushion on their lap and needle and cotton thread in their hands, guided only by the glow from an oil lamp. Although those days are long gone, the rare value of handmade lace has been resurfacing – in many different ways.

A GROUP EFFORT

When the Nicosia Cyprus Handicraft Services centre was established in 1975, one of its ‘causes’ was to conduct regular workshops teaching Cypriot lace techniques. On an ongoing basis, ladies create intricate pieces for themselves, bespoke orders, and for the centre’s onsite outlet.

In the village of Lefkara, one of the only remaining villages where you can still see women embroidering in the streets, similar workshops focus on ‘lefkaritiko’, the authentic local lace that can still be purchased there.

Another group, the Lapithos refugee group, favour the ‘bibilla’ techniques, which are believed to have originated in the village of Lapithos.

Since 2002, Athienou village has been making its own contribution to the revival of lace, as two groups of women have been meeting weekly to create ‘pittota/veniz’ lace, an art associated with this particular area. Anastasia Sea, an 83- year-old group member says: “Lacemaking is a great solace. My thoughts travel every time I get my hands on it, and I won’t stop till the day I die.”

Androula Hadjiyiasemi's tireless work in documenting every detail of lacemaking has culminated in a second book that focuses on lefkaritiko patterns and techniques. (Published in Greek)

DISPLAYS AND DOCUMENTATION

A current exhibition at the Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia, entitled ‘Threads of Tradition, Laces and Lace Embroideries of Cyprus,’ looks in depth at the styles, methods and history of Cyprus lace. Running until 31 October 2016, it showcases the history, characteristics and techniques of Cyprus LLE. With pieces from the early 16th century, the museum weaves a stunning display of the finest threaded and lace compositions including explanations and samples of pittota/veniz, lefkaritiko, kopaneli (bobbin), bibilla, frivolites and crochet, as well as modern lace installation art.

Two definitive guides to lefkaritika lace in particular are available thanks to the tireless Androula Hadjiyiasemi, who has spared no effort in documenting every detail. Her book, ‘Lefkara Lace Embroidery’ captures designs, styles and methods often influenced by nature. The ‘potamos’ (river) is one of the most acclaimed lefkaritiko stitches, with its typical small boxes zigzagging across the material like a river. “There was nothing out there about lefkaritiko lace; it is extraordinary embroidery. I felt it was my duty to preserve it and teach the next generation,” explains Androula. Her second book, ‘Lefkara, Art and Tradition’, which will be published soon, zooms in on lefkaritiko patterns and techniques, to reveal details that will fascinate the most discerning embroidery admirer.

INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

In 2009, lefkaritiko lace embroidery was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Dr. Antigone Polyniki from Cyprus National Commission (CyNatCom) UNESCO says: “This means that its techniques and methods are being protected, and efforts will be made to revive them through projects to study lacemaking in Lefkara and introduce Cypriot lace into conceptual and visual art.” More recently, in 2015, Cyprus added two more needle lace traditions on the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Cyprus: the bibilla and the pittota/veniz lace.

“FLUMEN”, by Constantinos Pseftodiakos, in plastic and aluminium, created for CyNatCom UNESCO "Lefkaritiko Embroidery Lace, Modi and Modulations" Exhibition, October 2015 “ANTIGONI, NEDI and EVRIDIKI” ceramic figurines, created by Anastasia Lampaski- Onisiphorou, for CyNatCom UNESCO "Lefkaritiko Embroidery Lace, Modi and Modulations" Exhibition, October 2015

© Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO/N. Louca

Bibilla is a fine needle-knotted lace, with varied compositions often including floral designs. Pittota/veniz favours a geometric character, but is also known for its human figures, birds, animals, leaves and flowers.

In 2015 and for the third consecutive year, CyNatCom UNESCO organized a project under the title ‘Lefkaritiko Embroidery Lace, Modi and Modulations: seeking the revival, recreation and the conversion of intangible cultural heritage’. Twenty artists were called upon to create original works of art that reflected and utilized elements of Lefkara lace. Their work was exhibited in the village of Lefkara and subsequently published by the CyNatCom UNESCO in a booklet entitled ‘Lefkaritiko, Modi and Modulations’.

Although Cypriot LLE is not as dominant as it once was, Dr. Demetra Papanikola-Bakirtzi, the Director of the Leventis Municipal Museum, states what many are delighted to hear: “There is a renewed interest in local lace; women are ordering bespoke tablecloths and bedspreads for their daughters, and new products in traditional styles more suited to today are being made, such as jewellery, satchels and lavender bags. Tradition is finally being revived and brought into the 21st century.”