Skyrian Culture
Decorative items

The decorative and functional use items of the Skyrian house, called the "Aloni", comprise the Museum's dominant collection. In Skyros, the "Aloni" refers to the household items in general, that cover practical or aesthetic needs.

The most important part of the "Aloni', because of their artistic and material value, are the household utensils which are there mainly, or exclusively, for decorative reasons. This is because the interior decoration of the Skyrian house is one of the main characteristics of the Skyrians' folk culture.

It constitutes a permanent artistic feature in the home, one that daily cultivates a sense of beauty in its owners. The Skyrians are very proud of their homes and, perhaps more than the inhabitants of other Greek regions, are closely bound with them.

The maintenance and continuous enrichment, in terms of quantity and quality, of the special decorative objects according to the local tradition, is one of the predominant elements in the lives of Skyrians. Women play the leading role, (though they are quietly supported by men), because the Skyrian woman is the undisputed and sole ruler of her home.

The aesthetics of a Skyrian house is based on two main elements: its permanent structural and woodwork constructions [sfas (sleeping area), shelves, stamnoustatis (vase rests), bench, fgou (fireplace), skatzidia (shelves build on the fireplace), icon stand] and items placed in visible locations for purely functional or purely aesthetic use, or a mixture of both.

These items constitute perhaps the largest part of the Skyrian Folk Culture.

Their significance is related with this artistic value, their rarity, their current material value, their historical origin, the Skyrian aesthetic and cultural perceptions, the history of Skyrian Folk Art, the history of the island, and the psychosocial role and importance these items have or had, much more so in older times, in the various castes and the social hierarchy of the Skyrians.

These articles cover the largest part of the interior of a Skyrian house. They are mainly placed on the fgou (fireplace) and on the two parallel middle walls.

 

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