The village of Lefkara in the Larnaca region has been famous since the Middle Ages for its lace, known as “lefkaritika”. Cypriots are rightfully proud of this technology. It has become one of the calling cards not only of Lefkara itself, but of the whole country. There are two episodes associated with lace, the participants of which were great historical figures. In one case, the unique work was appreciated, but in the other, it was not.
A visit to Cyprus, surrounded by legends
According to legend, in 1481 Leonardo da Vinci visited Cyprus. He visited Lefkara, where he liked the local lace work so much that he bought a bedspread embroidered in the traditional manner, which he later donated to the Milan Cathedral. There is no documentary evidence for this beautiful story. Moreover, there is no significant evidence that da Vinci actually visited Cyprus (which is not surprising, since the biography of the famous artist and scientist is generally quite vague).
October 19 is a significant day
In 1981, the Cyprus Post Office, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the semi-legendary visit, issued three stamps in denominations of 50, 125 and 175 miles, which depicted Leonardo da Vinci, his painting “The Last Supper” and the Cathedral of Milan. On October 19, 1986, when the main temple of Milan celebrated its 600th anniversary, the municipality of Lefkara presented it with a gift of an altar cover embroidered in the signature Lefkara style, which was intended to replace the old one (if it even existed).
Photo by mixanitouxronou.com.cy
How the lace crown came to be
Another story involving Lefkara lace turned out to be less prosperous. In 1952, Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne of Great Britain. On this occasion, the craftswomen from Lefkara decided to give her a large lace cloth. The craftswomen's names were Olga Kornioti, Theodora Papadopoulou, Evdokia Mikhail-Stafilaris, Evanfia Georgiou, Margarita and Anfula Kumi. They joined forces to give a gift to the young queen. A crown was depicted in the center of the item. To the right and left of it are embroidered powers. Along the edges, eight more small crowns and zigzag patterns were made, which in the Lefkaritika technique are called “potamos”.
Photo by mixanitouxronou.com.cy
The gift is not accepted from all subjects
The item was sent to the queen. However, the gift was soon sent back to Cyprus. The note accompanying the return read: the head of Great Britain cannot accept it because it comes from private individuals and not from the country's leadership. “The gift must be given by all her subjects in Cyprus,” the letter said. Now the failed gift to the queen is kept in the Lefkara Museum.
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