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C Y P R U S H A N D IC R A F T S E R V IC E T h e g e o g ra p h ic a l p o s itio n o f C y p ru s,a t th e c ro s s ro a d s o f E a s t a n d W e s t, h a s c o n trib u te d to th e fo rm a tio n o f a d iffe re n t k in d o f fo lk a rt a n d h a n d ic ra fts. C y p ru s fo lk a rt h a s o f c o u rs e b e e n in flu e n c e d b y s u c c e s s iv e c o n q u e ro rs. H o w e v e r, lik e th e a rt o f a ll e ra s o f th e is la n d it a b s o rb e d fo re ig n e le m e n ts a n d p re s e rv e d its tra d itio n a l c h a ra c te r u p u n til th e b e g in n in g o f o u r c e n tu ry . W ith th e in tro d u c tio n o f in d u s tria l te c h n o lo g y , fo lk a rt re tre a te d in s ta g e s , firs t fro m th e to w n s a n d th e n , g ra d u a lly , fro m th e v illa g e s a n d g a v e its p la c e to m a s s p ro d u c tio n p ro d u c ts w h ic h s w a m p e d th e C y p ru s m a rk e t. T h e m a in h a n d ic ra ft c e n tre s o f C y p ru s w e re L e fk o s ia , th e K e ry n e ia d is tric t, e s p e c ia lly th e to w n s h ip s o f L a p ith o s a n d K a ra v a s , th e K a rp a s s P e n in s u la , A k a n th o u , M o rfo u d is tric t,M e s s a o ria ,K o ila n i v illa g e ,P a fo s a n d th e M a ra th a s a d is tric t. O n e o f th e m a in re a s o n s o f th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f fo lk a rt a n d h a n d ic ra ft is th e a b u n d a n c e o f ra w m a te ria ls s u c h a s c o tto n , fla x , s ilk a n d w o o l fo r w e a v in g a n d e m b ro id e ry , p in e w o o d a n d w a ln u t tre e s fo r w o o d w o rk , c la y e a rth fo r p o tte ry , a n d c a n e a n d w h e a t s te m s fo r b a s k e t w e a v in g . E s p e c ia lly ric h in e x c e lle n t e x a m p le s o f fo lk a rt is th e M u s e u m o f F o lk A rt o f th e C y p ru s S tu d ie s C o m p a n y ,w h ic h is h o u s e d in th e fo rm e r A rc h b is h o p ric in L e fk o s ia . T h e m a in b ra n c h e s o f tra d itio n a l C y p rio t fo lk a rt a re w e a v in g , e m b ro id e ry , la c e -m a k in g , p o tte ry , w o o d w o rk , m e ta l w o rk ,b a s k e t w e a v in g a n d o th e r s m a lle r h a n d ic ra fts. C y p rio t fo lk a rt is c h a ra c te ris e d b y th e p rim a rily g e o m e tric a l, s e v e re d e s ig n s, w ith o u t la c k in g m o re fre e ly p a tte rn e d m o tifs fro m th e p la n t a n d a n im a l k in g d o m s, a s w e ll a s th e m e s fro m H e lle n is m a n d s y m b o lic th e m e s.