Lefkaritika is a handmade lace from Pano Lefkara, Cyprus, that dates as far back as the fourteenth century. This style of lace is influenced by indigenous craft, Venetian embroidery, ancient Greek and Byzantine geometric patterns, and Greek and Roman elements. These four elements combine to create Lefkara Lace. This style of lace is made by hand in designs combining hemstitch, cutwork, satin stitch fillings, and needlepoint edgings. Historically, Lefkaritika is an evolution of a more traditional style, called Asproploumia. The main stitches of this ancient style of embroidery are found in the most recent version of Lefkaritika. Usually, stitches and motifs are added based on the embroiderer's skill and creativity.
Embroideries on Lefkaritika soon reached a higher standard, as competition between women arose. Each girl was expected to have an extended collection ready for exhibition on her wedding day, which meant that many traditional elements were handed down from mother to daughter. Many women also practiced embroidery as a profession. Women who embroidered on Pano Lefkara were called "ploumarisses". These women organized their production from their homes. Lefkara men, called Kentitarides, were merchants that traveled across Europe and Scandinavia. Legend has it that Leonardo da Vinci visited Cyprus in the 15th century, which is why he brought a Lefkara lace back to Italy with him. The Duomo cathedral in Milan, today, is decorated with lace.
In the beginning, Lefkara Lace was embroidered in a local white cotton fabric that was made in Cyprus. The pattern is embroidered in a combination of stitches and cuts. The large embroidery is referred to as "tagiades" and is added to patterns such as "Venice Lace," "pittota," "gyroulota," and "liminota". Their name comes from the Italian Punto Tagliato, a type of cut pattern popular in Italy during the 16th century. As stated by the Cyprus Handicraft Service, there are more than 650 different varieties of Lefkara Lace. The most characteristic pattern is known as potamoi ("rivers"), which is formed from triangular zigzags called "kamares" ("arcs").
These combined art and social practices are still the primary occupations for women in this village. The women sit together and create distinctive tablecloths, napkins, and other items while conversing in the streets or under covered patios. They are passed on to their young daughters through years of exposure to the craft by their mothers and grandmothers through formal instruction in applying cotton thread to linen. After studying the art of lace-making thoroughly, the lace-maker creates work that embodies both tradition and her personality. This is a testament to the ability to appreciate multiple influences and incorporate them into one's own culture. For women from Lefkara, lace-making is a symbol of their identity that is at the center of daily life. Production of lace is still centered in Pano Lefkara and Kato Lefkara villages, and these are the most important centers of production. Today this embroidery is produced throughout Cyprus, particularly in the villages of Kato Drys, Vavla, Vavatsinia, Ora, Choirokoitia, Skarinou, Dali, and Athienou.
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