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Lefkaritika or Lefkara Lace is a handmade lace from
Pano Lefkara Pano Lefkara ( el, Πάνω Λεύκαρα) is a village on the island of Cyprus famous for its lace, known as lefkaritika in (Greek: λευκαρίτικα) and silver handicrafts. The village takes its name from the white of its silica and lim ...
Cyprus. Notable characteristics are the hemstitch, satin stitch fillings, needlepoint edgings, white, brown, ecru colours and geometric intricate patterns. in 2009, this traditional craft of lace-making was inscribed on the Representative List of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments, and artifacts are cultural property. In ...
.


History

Lefkaritika is the characteric type of
embroidery Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on ...
art in
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...
, dating back to at least the fourteenth century. It falls under the category of white
embroidery Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on ...
art of Cyprus. It is the evolution of an older type, called " asproploumia". The main stitches of "asproploumia" survived in the newest type of Lefkaritika. New stitches and motifs are added depending on the skill and creativity of the embroideress. Lefkaritika soon reached a higher level of quality, because of the competition between women, since they were considered to be a center piece of a dowry. Each girl had to have an extended collection ready for exhibition on her wedding day. This way a lot of the traditional elements were past from mother to daughter. Many women practiced embroidery as a profession as well. Women embroideresses in
Pano Lefkara Pano Lefkara ( el, Πάνω Λεύκαρα) is a village on the island of Cyprus famous for its lace, known as lefkaritika in (Greek: λευκαρίτικα) and silver handicrafts. The village takes its name from the white of its silica and lim ...
, called "ploumarisses" organised their production from home. Men from Lefkara, called "kentitarides", were merchants and they traveled across Europe and Scandinavia. According to tradition, in 15th century Leonardo da Vinci visited Cyprus and took a Lefkara Lace back to Italy with him, which today decorates Duomo Cathedral in Milan.


Centers of production

The greatest centers of production used to be
Pano Lefkara Pano Lefkara ( el, Πάνω Λεύκαρα) is a village on the island of Cyprus famous for its lace, known as lefkaritika in (Greek: λευκαρίτικα) and silver handicrafts. The village takes its name from the white of its silica and lim ...
and Kato Lefkara villages. Today these embroideries are manufactured all over Cyprus, especially in villages,
Kato Drys Kato Drys ( el, Kάτω Δρυς) is a small village in Cyprus, southwest of Larnaca. It is near the villages of Pano Lefkara (4 km), Kato Lefkara (4 km), and Vavla (6 km). Its average altitude is 520 meters above sea level. Th ...
, Vavla, Vavatsinia, Ora,
Choirokoitia Khirokitia (sometimes spelled Choirokoitia; el, Χοιροκοιτία , suggested meaning ''Pig-cradle'', from 'pig, boar' + 'place of origin, cradle'; tr, Hirokitya) is an archaeological site on the island of Cyprus dating from the Neolit ...
, Skarinou, Dali and
Athienou Athienou ( el, Αθηένου or , ) is a village in Larnaca District, Cyprus. It is one of only four villages located within the United Nations Buffer Zone, the other three being Pyla, Troulloi and Deneia. Today, Athienou has a population o ...
.


Materials and technique

The first Lefkara Lace was made from the local white cotton fabric produced in Cyprus. A combination of stitches and cuts is used. The large embroideries called "tagiades" are added to "dantela venis" ("Venice Lace"), "pittota", "gyroulota", "liminota" patterns. Their name comes from the Italian "'' Punto Tagliato''", a kind of a cut design popular in Italy during the 16th century, According to the Cyprus Handicraft Service the different motifs for Lefkara Lace add to more than 650. The most characteristic pattern in Lefkara Lace is "potamoi" ("rivers"). They made from triangular zig-zags, called "kamares" ("arcs").


References

{{Lace_types Lace Textile arts of Cyprus Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity