How One Town Is Trying To Keep An Ancient Art Form Alive

Tucked away and nestled in the foothills of the Troodos Mountains in the southeast of Cyprus is a charming village with old stone buildings, cobblestone streets, narrow winding alleys, and a colorful past.

Locals believe that the name Lefkara comes from the words “Lefka Oria” referring to the surrounding white limestone mountains of the area. Located between Larnaka and Limassol, Lefkara is a quaint sleepy village renowned for its exquisite lace.

Lace making and embroidery is a 2,000-year-old Cypriot tradition. Historically, Lefkara is the most famous of all the villages around for its elaborate lace, although there are a handful of villages scattered in rural areas specializing in other types of lace made with different techniques. Omodos village is known for their needle woven lace using a looping technique similar to one that is used for making fishnets.

For over 600 years, the lace making tradition has been passed down from generation to generation, through grandmothers and mothers to daughters. Villagers took great pride in this hand craft. The lace ladies lovingly make Lefkaritika lace using the same techniques that were introduced by the Venetian noblewomen during the Venetian occupation from 1489 through 1571. The Venetian ladies summered in the cool mountains of Lefkara to escape the heat of the cities. As a result of exposure to the Venetian lace, the Lefkara lace makers adapted and incorporated some of the new techniques while adding their own spin.

It is reputed that Leonardo da Vinci visited Lefkara and commissioned an elaborately embroidered lace cloth as a gift for the altar of the Milan Cathedral which is depicted in his Last Supper. In earlier times, lace makers also created beautiful bodices, dresses and cloaks, (not only in linen but also in silk), in addition to tablecloths, runners, curtains, and bedspreads. The earlier lace was embroidered on heavy homespun linen and cotton originally woven on their antique family looms.

Lefkara lace is a form of cutwork where thin warp thread are counted and carefully cut away with small scissors. Next, the cut area is embroidered with pearl cotton thread to create a tiny opening, which is either left open or filled in with embroidery stitches resembling filigree and lattice work. The satin stitch and buttonhole stitch are used in this tedious process. This type of drawn and counted thread embroidery is very time consuming and detailed requiring concentration and excellent embroidery skills. The finished lace must look as good on the back as the front, no sloppy work allowed! The lace is pinned to small pillow to stabilize it and make it easier to work on.

Traditional lefkaritika is done on white, ivory, or khaki Irish linen with a single strand of white, brown, or beige DMC pearl cotton thread. The same geometric motifs have been used for centuries with designs for the embroideries inspired by nature such as the sun, daisies, and rivers. The patterns all have names like: Leonardo da Vinci, spider web, snow­flake, Byzantine, and almond. Usually a zigzag pattern representing a river is embroidered around the inside border of the cloth and then edged with a lace trim for the finishing touch.
At the beginning of the twentieth century salesman headed overseas for months at a time with their suitcases stuffed with lace and not returning until all of their wares were sold. There was a large demand for this luxurious lace through out Europe, England, and Egypt. The lace business was quite profitable making some families wealthy and putting Lefkara on the map. Lefkaritika lace became so famous that a tablecloth was presented to Queen Elizabeth in 1953 in honor of her coronation. Some of the older lace makers still remember working on this historic cloth.

Fast forward, unfortunately this exquisite lace is now endangered of becoming extinct as the younger generation isn’t interested in continuing this traditional handcraft. The pay is low, the hours are long, and the work is tedious; creating an exodus from the rural areas to the higher paying jobs and glamour of the big city. Lefkara’s Mayor Andreas Shoshilos is quite concerned about this and determined to do whatever is necessary to keep the lace heritage alive in his village. Plans are underway to work with the European Union to receive grant money to fund the building of a Lace Institute of international significance. The Institute’s purpose is to exhibit, document, educate, and continue the legacy of this traditional handcraft.

The Cypriots are resourceful and proud people who have historically been able to rebound from adversity and flourish. After the Turk’s brutal invasion in 1974, with a 33% unemployment rate, 40 percent of the population forced to relocate into refugee camps and tent cities, losing their homes, incomes, and businesses, the Cypriot government established the Cyprus Handicraft Centre in Nicosia. The main purpose was to create a cottage industry to assist, re-educate and train women by providing them with the necessary skills enabling them to become economically independent. This program was an enormous success and continues to offer traditional craft workshops including Lefkaritika, weaving, ­silver smithing, pottery, and wood carving. Visitors are encouraged to tour the center, visit the studios, shop in the gallery, and view the permanent folk costume exhibit.

With his fierce determination we can only hope that Mayor Shoshilos’ vision of a Lace Institute is realized soon enabling a 600-year-old handcraft to survive for future generations and preserve a rich Cypriot textile legacy.

For further information, visit www.pricetower.org or www.visitbartlesville.com.

Michelle Newman is a designer, writer and photographer focusing on art, craft, design, fashion, and cultural destinations. She has written for Better Homes and Gardens, Womans Day, Belle Armoire and Expressions. Based in San Antonio, Texas, she can be reached at michellenewmandesigns@hotmail.com.

PHOTOS BY MICHELLE NEWMAN