Publisher's Synopsis
The Victoria Karelias Collection of Traditional Greek Costumes consists of male and female costumes, as well as jewels of the Greek geographical area, important examples from cottage industries and workshops that served practical and aesthetic needs of a pre-industrial society. Gold-embroidered velvet, silk and woollen fabrics coexist and converse with fibulae and other elaborate products of folk jewellery, reflecting social and cultural relationships and highlighting the remarkable diversity of each place. The construction techniques, the materials, the cutting procedure, and decoration testify to manufacturing expertise, special skills, influences and concepts that shaped the costume tradition of modern Greece. The 470 colour photographs of the items in the collection are accompanied by insightful texts by folklore specialist N. Macha-Bizoumi and a detailed commentary by X. Politou, curator of the Benaki Museum. The volume includes an addendum with unique drawings by Y. Metzikof and a glossary. It provides an essential introduction to this important aspect of modern Greek culture. The text is presented in both Greek and English.
