Di Mullieri, Metsovo, Greece
In Metsovo, a unique wool weaving technique has been preserved for generations, covering floors and walls of homes to protect against the cold. The technique follows strict rules in both design and execution, ensuring the longevity of traditional symbols. The weavers also maintain high standards for materials, using only specific types of wool. Today, only four weavers remain who still practice this rare technique.
One significant tradition that continues is the dowry-making process, where a mother prepares woven pieces for her daughter. A week before the wedding, these dowries are publicly displayed in the village. Since most young women no longer weave, they commission their dowries from the last remaining weavers.
Di Mulieroi (“From Women” in the Vlach dialect) is a collective of women from Metsovo and surrounding villages, connected through their love for traditional Metsovian weaving. Their goal is to preserve both the aesthetic and technical aspects of this craft while highlighting Metsovo’s intangible cultural heritage and Vlach traditions.
With the support of the Metsovo Municipality, we set up a traditional loom in a former school classroom, where we gathered to collaboratively weave a cape. The workshops paired older and younger women, encouraging knowledge exchange and ensuring long-term preservation of the craft.
The decorative pattern on the cape is a hybrid motif, inspired by traditional Metsovian designs. Each woman brought her favorite woven dowry piece, either for emotional or aesthetic reasons, sharing its history as we wove. Their commitment to tradition made them resist deconstructing the original motifs, yet through time and mutual exchange, we co-created a new design.
Once completed, each woman was invited to style the cape with her own clothing and be photographed in a personal, meaningful location in Metsovo. This collaborative process highlighted how women share a collective cultural heritage, deeply intertwined with their personal histories.
year
2020















