Fig.1. "Paeonia Byzantina" from the "Golden Peonies" collection, necklace in 18 carat gold.
MARAMENOS& PATERAS JEWELLERS.

Fig. 2. "Ear of Wheat", brooch in 22 carat gold. Copy of a 3rd century BC find from near Syracuse. CHRISTOTECHNIKI S. TOMAZINAKIS & SONS

Fig. 3&4. Classic traditional pieces, mainly handmade in 18 carat gold and set with
diamonds and pearls.
NIK. G. KANDARAKIS

Fig. 5. Handmade brooch, in 18 carat gold, with handcarved onyx cameo of pegasus embellished with tiny diaminds.

Fig. 6. Byzantine style cross, symbol of religion, symbol of power. 18 carat gold set with rubies, emeralds and pearls
LAVORO, MARIA N. POULKOURA-VOUTIRA

Athens quickly grew into a major metropolis where craftsmen gathered from all over Greece. The constant need for ecclesiastical vessels kept alive the traditional minor art of silver- and goldsmithing, while the observance of certain mores and customs, such as presenting a gold cross at the christening, the exchange of jewellery on betrothal, sustained many silver- and goldsmithing workshops throughout Greece, where objects were wrought in age-old techniques. In Crete for example, it is customary for the prospective groom to present his bride-to-be with a necklace with `boutonia' at the engage- ment ceremony. The design and technique of the filigree decoration on the delicate gold `boutonia' -beads hark back to Minoan times.

There is no doubt that the purchasing pub- lic's preference for European jewellery led to a lull in some of the traditional techniques. However, many were still applied in the minor arts, as well in isolated workshops in old silver- and goldsmithing centres such as Ioannina, Corfu, Rhodes, Macedonia and Stemnitsa in the Peloponnese. The supply of raw materials during the nineteenth and the early twentieth century was almost exclusively from Constantinople (Istanbul), which continued to be one of the most famous silver- and goldsmithing centers. In parallel it was a usual phenomenon for workshops to melt down old jewellery to make new pieces, according to the customer's wishes. This meant that many notable old ornaments were irrevocably lost.

From about 1930 onwards the new craftsmen working in the Athenian goldsmithing workshops created beautiful handmade jewellery in the European style using traditional techniques. So even though craftsmen had ceased producing traditional jewellery as such they were proficient in the techniques.This fact, combined with their experience and talent, enabled them to meet the new demand for Greek jewellery particularly copies of ancient Greek ornaments, mainly from tourists, that began in the 1950s. In response to the needs of this new market Greek jewellers not only applied traditional techniques but also renewed them by exploiting the achievements of modern technology as well.

Despite the prevailing adoration of everything European during this first. period, counter forces emerged, mainly from enlightened intellectuals who, in their endeavor lo arouse the bourgeoisie from the lethargy of imitation into which it had fallen, delved ever deeper into those elements composing the enduring unity and cohesion of the Greek spirit. We cite indicatively General Makryyannis and his `Memoirs', the painter and 1821 freedom-fighter Vryzakis, the poet Angelos Sikelianos, the writer Pantelis Yannopoulos, the painters Parthenis and Kontoglou, as well as many other important personalities who sought out the essence of Hellenism and the components of its creative course and continuity. Their efforts bore fruit. later, constituting the substratum of the modern cultural floruit. and the revival of interest in the values of recent Greek civilization. Jewellery was included in the creative course of Greek art that. soon developed, evoking wider interest at home and abroad.

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