HANDCRAFTED HERITAGE

BASKETS IN DIFFERENT SHAPES, sizes and colours were made of robust and pliable reeds, grasses, rushes and bamboo to serve a variety of everyday purposes.

An icon of the authentic rural Cyprus of bygone eras, the intricate art of basket weaving is making a contemporary comeback, with a few committed individuals using rare skills passed down through the generations, to revive this traditional craft and weave new passion and energy into the stunning baskets they create.

Sitting in the dappled shade of a leafy canopy in the courtyard of his traditional stone house, Petros Nicolaou – a 42-year-old basket weaver from Paphos – makes the intricate craft of traditional Cypriot basketry look misleadingly easy. With impressive dexterity, his fingers dart back, forth, in and out, with the speed and skill of experience, as he speaks fervently about his love for his work and his desire to keep the tradition alive. “I love my job,” he says. “I put my passion and energy into every basket I create, to make sure it is beautiful.”

Although it is hard to say exactly how far back traditional basketry dates, this long-standing craft was once common practise in Cyprus. As recently as 30 years ago, men and women in villages across the island would balance techniques and artistry to create beautiful baskets both for their own use and to earn a living.

PETROS NICOLAOU is committed to breathing new life into this traditional craft by sharing his passion and his skills with the next generation.

VARIED AND VERSATILE

Cyprus baskets are made of robust and pliable materials such as water reeds, grasses, rushes and bamboo, and they come in many different shapes, sizes and colours. At their peak, these iconic baskets were used to serve different purposes.

“Baskets were used in cheese production, for storing olives, to carry necessary supplies for a day working in the fields, for farming grapes, for travelling, for hanging bread from the ceiling and for storing food,” says Maria Polly from Akrotiri, an ex-fitness instructor turned basket weaver, who, like Petros, is committed to breathing new life into the tradition.

The short, wide zempilia baskets were created to make olive oil, with the olives inserted through a narrow circular hole at the top and crushed inside the basket to extract the oil. Resembling a modern-day shopping bag, the tall, square tsanta was made with rope handles, to carry food and items needed for daily work. With two twin baskets joined at the top with a rope bridge, the siriza basket was saddled on either side of a bicycle, motorbike or donkey to carry heavier items, while the famous tube-like galari basket from Akrotiri was used to make cheese, thanks to the water reeds’ easy draining and reinforced strength when wet. Like an old-fashioned Tupperware, the round korokoliosis baskets with their sealable lids would carry fruit and keep olives and cheese fresh, while the boukala basket was made around bottles to protect olive oil or wine from the sun. The ingenious, round, flat tabagia baskets were made to hang bread from the ceiling, out of reach of pesky mice and hungry children.

Historically, the two main centres for basketry were Larnaca and Akrotiri, where the naturally marshy landscape is the perfect habitat for the materials used to make strong and flexible baskets. “For the Akrotirians, basket weaving isn’t a tradition, it’s a way of life,” explains Varnavas Michael, from the Akrotiri Environmental Education Centre, which sees the protection of this craft as a priority and a cultural must. “Basket weaving has given us life. The Salt Lake and the marshes are the reason why people settled in Akrotiri.”

FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION

It is this deep-seated cultural relevance that motivates weavers like Varnavas. He says: “Basket weaving is in our DNA. Our grandparents were making baskets in this area. It’s a heritage we need to protect.” Today, as the older generation of basket weavers passes on, artisans by choice, like Maria and Petros, are determined to pass their knowledge on to the next generation, just as they were introduced to basketry by the generation before them.

Like many others, Petros was taught how to weave as a child by his grandparents, who earned their living harvesting materials to craft Cypriot baskets to sell across the island. Never imagining that this skill would one day shape his career, Petros now works full time, weaving baskets for individual clients and businesses, as well as conducting hands-on demonstrations for tourists, both in Cyprus and abroad. “I feel very proud to be a custodian of this legacy,” he says.

Maria also comes from a long line of Akrotirian basket weavers. She says: “It’s the heart of the village. It’s how we keep the marsh alive and protected. It’s in our genes; it’s part of us.”

FROM FUNCTION TO DECORATION

In today’s fast-paced society, the demand for traditionally woven baskets has dropped. Mass produced alternatives made of longer-lasting materials such as plastic have taken precedence, thanks to their convenience and lifespan.

VARNAVAS MICHAEL from the Akrotiri Environmental Education Centre sees basket weaving not just as a tradition, but as a valuable element of local heritage that must be protected.

However, in alignment with the current global interest in sustainability, basket weaving advocates such as Maria, Petros and Varnavas encourage Cypriots to return to their roots and embrace both the environmental advantages and the functional and aesthetic superiority of natural materials. “When baskets are eventually no longer usable, you can just ‘return them to nature’. In the soil they are biodegradable and will not harm the environment in any way,” Maria explains.

Apart from being environment-friendly, other advantages of traditional baskets include the flexibility and strength of the materials, the natural smell, the uniquely charming aesthetic and the superior draining capabilities.

But the decrease in demand is not the only change affecting the traditional basket weaving niche. On the positive side, these beautiful and intricately created objects have now taken up a new role as decorative items in the homes of Cypriots yearning to stay connected to their roots, and visitors looking for a souvenir of Cypriot culture to take back home with them. “These days, many Cypriots love to have traditional baskets hanging on the wall as decoration. People want to have something traditional in their homes; it is part of our culture,” says Petros.

A LOOK TO THE FUTURE

Another way today’s weavers are bringing the craft into the 21st century is by subtly adapting the products, designs and colours. Maria, for example, has started creating new basket designs which didn’t exist before, and has also introduced trendy hats made by using the same techniques as basket weaving. Explaining her motives Maria says, “I am trying to adapt, but also to encourage people to incorporate basketry in their daily life again.”

Petros has also introduced basket shapes and sizes with a contemporary twist. “My clients often give me ideas, and slowly I introduce new designs that we weren’t making in Cyprus in the past,” he says. “I stick to the traditional materials and the same methods, but use my imagination to meet the needs of today’s customers.”

Acknowledging that the next generation and the local community are key to the survival of this tradition, the Akrotiri Environmental Education Centre has been running basket weaving classes for the past eight years. Three years ago the Centre also launched a programme with the University of Frederick in Nicosia to raise awareness of basketry among the younger generation of artists.

“Using traditional basketry as a base, the students married new and old techniques to make innovative and contemporary items,” says Varnavas. “After the programme, the government showed an interest in promoting basket making and encouraging people to use baskets in their home, for either ornamental or practical purposes.”

The Akrotiri Environmental Education Centre is also working hard to preserve and protect the tradition, including bidding for basketry to be recognized by UNESCO, and offering lessons for tourists and schoolchildren of all ages.

Doing his bit to nurture the tradition, Petros has taken on two young students who share his passion and eagerness. He says: “I don’t know what is going to happen in the future; what I do know is that as long as my hands and my fingers are working, I will never stop, because we must revive and preserve this tradition. It’s a precious aspect of our island’s cultural heritage and the identity of our people.”

An icon of the authentic rural Cyprus of bygone eras, the intricate art of basket weaving is making a contemporary comeback, with a few committed individuals using rare skills passed down through the generations, to revive this traditional craft and weave new passion and energy into the stunning baskets they create.