Collections
Regional and city-style costumes and jewellery
The collection brings together regional and city-style garments from Hellenic history, mostly from the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, with some items going as far back as the 18th century.
It includes clothes, jewellery, and even small accessories from different areas of mainland and island Greece, as well as from more widespread areas where Hellenism was active (North Macedonia, Eastern Thrace, Eastern Rumelia, the Black Sea, Asia Minor).
In these objects, all eras are expressed; all ages, classes, and social and ethnic cultural groups are represented; and all categories of garments are included, both in terms of form and in terms of the different functions most dress codes served – from protection, decoration, and beauty, to worship, superstition, disguise, and beyond.
Highlights
Female costume from Psara. The dress (Accession No. 14066) is a donation by Despoina Kl. Manea & Totoula Manea-Chlorakioti. Photo: Studio Kominis.
Multi-pleated dress, part of an older type of costume found in Hydra, Spetses and Ermionida. CMLE, Accession No. 778/2,γ. Photograph: Studio Kominis.
Costume of “Athenean bride”. Headdress (Accession No. 14472) based on the lithograph “Greek wedding in Athens” by Louis Dupré (1789-1837). Photo: Studio Kominis.
Man’s costume with a “doulamas”, attributed to King Otto. Mid-19th century. CMLE Accession Nο 5116-5118. Photo: Studio Kominis.
The fustanela costume Ion Dragoumis wore as a child. CMLE, Accession No. 13339-13342 α-β. Donated by the Exadaktylos family. Photograph: Studio Kominis.
The older form of the “sia”, an ornament worn across the chest, from Oreini, Serres. CMLE, Accession No. 15567. Donated by Lefteris Drandakis. Photo: Studio Kominis.
Child “Vlahoula” costume. End of 19th century. CMLE, Accession No 14285 & 15624/1-7. Donated by Katerina Daskalaki. Photograph: Studio Kominis.
Detail of an ornament worn on the chest, from Attica. CMLE, Accession No. 15568. Donated by Lefteris Drandakis. Photo: Studio Kominis.
Urban-style women’s jacket from Siatista in Kozani. CMLE, Accession No. 2336/1. Donated by the Bodosakis family. Photo: Creative forward.
Detail of a ornament worn on the chest, with an image of St George the Dragon Slayer. CMLE, Accession No. 15577. Donated by Lefteris Drandakis. Photo: Studio Kominis.
Cretan knife. It is engraved with a map of Crete and a rhyming couplet reading “wherever you may dig in Cretan soil/you will find the blood and bones of brave young men.” CMLE, Accession No. 15595. Donated by Lefteris Drandakis. Photo: Studio Kominis.
Women’s jacket from Mykonos, produced in recent years. CMLE, Accession No. 807/1,α. Photo: Creative forward.
Women’s festive costume from the region of Skopia-Florina with the recent-style coat reminiscent of a redingote. CMLE, Accession No. 15856/1-6. Photograph: Studio Kominis.
Women’s festive costume from the village of Agios in Istiaia. It belonged to Maroula Stamou (Agios, circa 1895-1994). CMLE, Accession No. 16009-16022. Photo: Studio Kominis.
Detail of headdress pin from the village of Agios in Istiaia. It belonged to Maroula Stamou (Agios, circa 1895-1994). CMLE, Accession No. 16020. Photo: Studio Kominis.
Detail of the apron jewellery (“armata tsepas”) from the village of Agios in Istiaia. It belonged to Maroula Stamou (Agios, circa 1895-1994). CMLE, Accession No. 16021. Photo: Studio Kominis.
Costume worn by the Momoeria, the twelve dancers at the festival of the Dodekaimeron (Twelve days of Christmas), a ritual to bless the new year and provide entertainment, in the mountains of Trapezounta. The custom still survives in eight villages in the district of Kozani (Tetralofos, Agios Dimitrios, Alonakia, Skiti, Protochori, Komnina, Asvestopetra, Karyochori). CMLE, Accession No. 17183/1-12. Donated by the Educational-Folkloric Society of Tetralofos. Photo: Studio Kominis.
Pair of women’s leather slippers from Elympos in Karpathos. CMLE, Accession No. 15672/10α-β. Donated by Alexandra Kalogera. Photo: Studio Kominis.
Quilted coat (cavat) of the Pomak women from Sminthi in Xanthi. CMLE, Accession No. 16152. Photo: Studio Kominis.
Women’s festive costume from Nigdi in Cappadocia. This type was worn in the city itself – with its two Greek neighbourhoods, Kayambasi and Kastro – as well as in the villages of Aravani, Gourdonos, Ferteki, Matala, Tenei or Tyana, Iloson, Sazaltsa, Ulagats, Kitsagats, Andaval, Sementra, and others. (The waist belt is missing.) CMLE, Accession No. 16023-16027. Photo: Studio Kominis.
Headscarf stamped with the image of a pair of lovers, from Nigdi, Cappadocia. CMLE, Accession No. 16027. Photo: Studio Kominis.
Festive women’s costume from Karya, in the mountains to the southwest of Trikala in Corinthia. CMLE, Accession No. 15983/1-7. It belonged to Christina Gkika-Sourlou (Karya, 1891-1978). Photo: Studio Kominis.
Detail of the women’s coat from Karya, in the mountains to the southwest of Trikala in Corinthia. CMLE, Accession No. 15983/6. It belonged to Christina Gkika-Sourlou (Karya, 1891-1978). Photo: Studio Kominis.
The wedding outfit of Dimitris Theodosiou, son of Panayiotis and Dialo, who was born in 1922 in the village of Kozoultzia or Orasits in Eastern Rumelia. He came to Greece with his family as a refugee in 1923 and settled in Ormenio, where he was married in 1944. (The outfit is complemented by a cap.) CMLE, Accession Nos. 17042/1-5 and 17044/6 α-β. Photo: Studio Kominis.
The “good” outfit of Sofia Aravani (1883-1973) from Karya in Lefkada (the apron is missing). She wore it as a married woman, before losing, within a week, all three of the children she had with Ioannis Aravanis to the diphtheria epidemic, at the ages of 12, 8 and 6 years. Since then, she never stopped wearing black, even after having another child, Christos Aravanis (Karya, Lefkada, 1923 – Athens, 2020). CMLE, Accession Nos. 15874-15876, 15878. Photo: Studio Kominis.
Women’s costume from Skopelos. Photo: Studio Kominis.
Detail of the sleeve of the women’s costume from Skopelos. Photo: Studio Kominis.