The history of the island has been shaped by the occupiers who have passed through. A new exhibition looks at how Venetian culture changed what Cypriots wore
The rich legacy of Venetian textiles and their enduring influence on Cypriot society and what it has historically worn is at the centre of an ongoing Nicosia exhibition aiming at transforming historical knowledge into a language that’s digestible and understandable.
The links between the two are even reflected in the exhibition’s name: Stoffe. Stoffa means textile in Italian (stoffe is plural) but in Cypriot, the word stoffa means good quality textile. “It’s not just a word that was borrowed in Cypriot, the word is charged with qualities of the Venetian textiles. I want people to see the textiles and imagine that in Cyprus, there were people wearing clothes made out of these textiles,” says Curator Dr Iosif Hadjikyriakos.
“We live in a society where the aspect of things is more important than the qualities of things. Reality, which is subjective, is based on the surface, on appearance, and not in the substance, not in the soul of the things and this exhibition is also an answer to this,” he adds.
Based on the theory that an exhibition is an immersive activity, Stoffe is designed as an exploratory experience rather than an explanatory one, there are very few words. “The exhibition is composed of two elements: enlarged photos of details from icons and frescoes of various periods depicting Cypriots wearing textiles from Venice. And in the middle of the room, there’s a certain number of actual antique textiles from the 15th to the late 18th century,” explains Iosif.
The exhibition is almost his PhD – Venetian Textiles in Cyprus during the 18th century – brought to life. But it starts with materials from the 15th century, revealing a Cyprus under Venetian rule. “The influence Venetians had on the island is one that always happens (when occupied), it’s initiated from the ruling class and trickles down to the people underneath them,” says Iosif. “Just think that Venice, during the time it ruled Cyprus, was the Venice of Renaissance, a centre of knowledge, culture, arts; one of the important centres of the world during that time. Cyprus, a medieval kingdom, suddenly gets to know this great modernism, and we see it in architecture, we see it in cuisine, in the language, and of course in appearances.”
Revealing the intricate connections between Venice and Cyprus and highlighting their shared artistic and cultural heritage, the exhibition explores the broad Venetian influence on the island through textiles. From sumptuous silks and velvets to ornate patterns inspired by both Eastern and Mediterranean traditions, Stoffe sheds light on the pivotal role Venetian textiles played in shaping local craftsmanship and identity.
“The Venetians in Cyprus, as did the English many years later, imposed their architecture, at some points, they tried to mimic the pre-existing style, (Louisianan era) but the walls of Nicosia is a super example of polemic architecture,” explains Iosif. “The same happens with textiles; textiles are very important objects to study because they are linked to fashion, so it’s also about trends, habits, and also identity because the way you dress is the way you look and the way you want others to look at you.”
The imprint the Venetians left on the island is long standing. “Not only in architecture as one would have thought,” says Iosif, “but also in Lefkaritika (traditional Cyprus lace), a copy of Venetian work of the late 15th century that came to Cyprus and stayed in Cyprus, up to our days, basically with no changes,” he adds.
Iosif says the reason Venetian influence was not absorbed and changed in Cyprus is because society is conservative. “This has enabled elements to remain the same as they were centuries ago, years ago or millennia ago. We’re repeating the same thing because it’s how they did it… So they maintain it, they don’t develop it. What’s important in the exhibition is that these original Venetian antique textiles are textiles we know were present in Cyprus but none of them survived”. And there is a good reason for this. “As a conservative society, we used to recycle everything. So good quality textiles, like the Venetian textile, were used and reused until the end and then they were just thrown away.”
“Of course some things did evolve,” says Iosif. “Church iconostases for instance, are based on the flair of the Renaissance, and used the architecture of that period, including the wood carvings of that period, shapes, patterns, colours, combinations etc but they were transformed by the locals.
“For example, at the bottom of the iconostasis, they used to hang textiles, expensive textiles, but it wasn’t always possible because of the amount of money needed to buy them. So (Cypriots) painted them, they used to imitate the hanging textile in painting. Having a textile of that quality on the altar is like putting a Versace textile with heads of the medusa, it’s a show off thing telling that you paid a lot.”
So, Venice’s influence gave the opportunity to Cyprus to enjoy the post Renaissance Italian culture. “During the 16th century there was an open window for a few to communicate or to keep in communication with the spirit, taste, inventions and knowledge of the Renaissance,” says Iosif. “Venice during the 15th century proclaimed itself as the new Byzantium, the new Constantinople; they wanted to continue the oriental empire of Christianity with links with the Middle East and the Orient and in Cyprus. Venice’s presence was an occidental influence, it wasn’t an oriental influence.”
But as Cyprus strained under taxes and other regulations the Venetians stayed for less than a century, “so they couldn’t have influenced the island to a great extent,” adds Iosif. “But Venetian subjects are present from the beginning of the 18th century; merchants, diplomats, doctors come to the island for commercial opportunities. They had given the supreme port to the Venetians, as well as to the French and British and they had commercial privileges; they paid less taxes for import and export.
“By living here, especially young men running after fortune, they naturally got involved socially, they got married, had kids, etc and with other foreigners they created a new community along with a new class, what we call today the Latins of Cyprus, recognised by the constitution of Cyprus. They were actually those who were able to teach locals what Europe was, they used to import not only goods from Europe but also ideas, books, periodicals… it was an open door to Europe, they used to travel to Europe, have relatives in Europe, so it was a continuous connection with Europe.”
But Cyprus’ growing ties with Europe didn’t trickle down to acquiring the craftsmanship the Venetians boasted. “Venetian textiles of the type displayed in the exhibition couldn’t have been made in Cyprus because there was neither the knowledge, the craftsmen, machines and right looms to create such complicated results of the textile craft and art,” says Iosif. “Even though we had a very strong and important history of textiles, we used to create very good quality textiles during various historical periods, and we still do. We used to make good stripped satin silks, very good quality stamped textiles made out of cotton, textiles like velvet or Brocatelle and brocade. Textiles are an indicator of industrial evolution of a place and Venice had a very long tradition on this, Cyprus not so much. During that period, the Venetians were more influential on the aesthetics of things,” he adds.
“Come and see how people were dressed at the time and compare them with the depictions you have around you; try to see what you’re wearing and how you’re reacting through the materiality of textiles,” says Iosif. “This is a crucial element for the understanding of the exhibition.”
STOFFE: Venetian Textiles in Cyprus
CVAR, Ermou 285, Nicosia. December 4-15, 9am-5.30pm
