TRADITION AND ECONOMICS IN VILLAGE FOLK CRAFTS: THE LEFKARA LACE MAKING AND SILVERSMITHING TRADITIONS

The village of Lefkara, in Cyprus, has been widely acknowledged as the center of a unique type of embroidery called Lefkaritica or Lefkara lace. In recent years, the village has also become a center for an active silversmithing tradition. This dissertation has three primary objectives: first, to provide a detailed and accurate documentation of the lace making and silversmithing traditions; second, to make an analysis of the folk craft traditions of Lefkara as economic systems; and, third, to examine the interaction and relationships that exist between the folk craft traditions and the socio-cultural environment in which they are found.;The analysis of the folk crafts as economic systems involved studying the way in which production is organized, the hours worked and the wages earned, the means through which production is financed, the method of pricing the items, the channels of distribution and the patterns of consumption.;The study also established the functions the folk craft traditions perform in the village as well as determining the effect of the development of the traditions on the community. The study documents the changes caused both in the socio-cultural environment and physical environment of the village as a result of the development of the two folk crafts.;The data for this dissertation were gathered through the use of a variety of methods, the most important one being participant observation. Tape recorded interviews were conducted with lace makers, lace merchants, and silversmiths as well as other people in the village who were able to supply pertinent information. Photographs and slides were used extensively to document both traditions. Information was also gathered from other sources such as the Cyprus Folk Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, United Kingdom, the Chicago Institute of Art and the Indianapolis Museum of Art. In addition, extensive library research was carried out both in Cyprus and in Bloomington, Indiana.;The documentation of the traditions involved collecting data on the materials used, the tools and their use, the techniques of construction, the designs as well as the finished items and their functions. Changes in the traditions as well as the factors causing the changes were also documented. The manner in which the craftsman exercises his role within the tradition, the method of transmission, the nature of creative performance and the aesthetic standards used to judge the finished products were also analyzed.;The conclusions of this dissertation indicate that a major factor leading to the continued existence of lace making and silversmithing is the length of their tradition. The manner in which the lace making tradition is transmitted leads to creative performance within the folk craft. The traditions, especially lace making, are symbolically related to the village and have had an integrating effect by becoming a source of community pride. Their continuity is also due to the fact that both traditions provide employment and are a source of income to large numbers of people in the village. Their transformation into economic enterprises was caused by the discovery of markets for the products of both traditions. The demand for the products is maintained by the adaptation of the traditions to satisfy consumer needs. The conclusions have implications for economic development by demonstrating the viability and stability of traditional crafts within a developing society.