Cycle of life

“What better to represent the cycle of life than a grain of wheat?

It is burried in the earth to resuscitate and bear fruit symbolising life and ressurection…This ancient land still adores his female Godess Demetra,the fruit bearing mother,who provides the wealth of wheat.The mother is the dark subconscient uteris that gives birth to the worlds and reabsorbs them,just as it buries the wheat deep-in her entrails and springs it to life….”

These beautiful words belong to Natasa Ieridou,an Art Historian,who continues in describing the growing of wheat in Cyprus in its different phases as a metaphore of the phases of existence.Adjoining this delightful text is a collection of photos by Christos Ierides, depicting the more traditional side of Cyprus along with explanations.This mini booklet is titled:”Cyprus-a treat for the soul,Wheat bearing land”

From the first moment I set eyes on this ”experience”(the written booklet with the set of photos)I was immediately stricken by a magic spell which took me at once to this ancient land in its original version,another time,when oddly enough,it seeems as though ”less” was ”going on” but everything had ”more” meaning…which to me personally translates into a much richer existence..

Unfortunately ,I choose not to share any of the photos here or anymore of the text out of mere respect for the creators,as I do not have the opportunity to ask their permission.

But I can state that I found this piece of ”life” in an extremely special book shop in Nikosia,Cyprus,named MAM.I entered this shop searching for a specific book on traditional Cypriot handcraft and asides from discovering the shop actually specialises in all books related to Cyprus,I fell upon the owner Mr Mikis, who himself clearly belongs to another era.One of the sweetest people I have ever met,passionate about what he does,extremely courteous,generous and kind.His work ethics are clearly those of a world who once took the ”other” into far more consideration,long before the need was born to come up with terms such as  ”ethical commerce” to repair an existing value system..

  I also ended up buying  three beautiful books on traditional textiles and embroidery in Cyprus,a theme I am fascinated about:

Cypriot Ethnography collections in British museums/Eleni Papademetriou

 

Lefkara lace embroidery/androula Hadjiyiasemi

 

Textiles from Cyprus/Eleni Papademetriou