Traditional Loom Weaving in Melambes

The loom or “argastiri” as it was called in Melambes was a basic tool for every household that the very young woman learned the intricate and demanding art of weaving. An art that starts fom the production and processing of natural materials (wool, flax, silk, cotton) to convert them into a suitable dyed yarn and finish as a cloth. This last stage was the most difficult and had many phases. The first phase was mitochtenia – which shows the small video and it was known only by a few well trained weavers of the village – the second phase was weaving and the third phase was the sewing of the fabric and its conversion into a garment, bedclothes etc.
In the workshop the girls started from the age of 12 and many times their mothers  had to shorten many tools so their small feet would be able to work the loom. This tool was presented to the girls to take to their own home when they reached the age of marriage.
This art is presented and displayed by the Museum of Art Weaving, which exists and is open in Melambes and which was done with the help of the elderly local women in Melambes.