The first English Marriage in Cyprus

Creator:

Durant, S.

Date:

1879

Medium:

Engraving

Places:

Cyprus

Inscriptions:

Description:

The engraving portrays the first ever marriage between a Cypriot woman and a British subject. It is the wedding of William H. Hawkins of Hertfordshire to Christina Mavrommatis of Larnaca in 1879. It is interesting to note that the Cypriot woman is dressed in fashionable Victorian clothes, not available then to Cypriots. The wedding is performed on the ship ‘the Minotaur’ in an Anglican religious setting. Non Orthodox weddings were not easily condoned in the conservative context of Cyprus. The presence of an Anglican priest clearly indicates that the girl is ‘marrying up’ since the social dynamics of colonial Cyprus empower the groom rather than the bride.

Dimensions:

16 x 24 cm

Identifier:

PNT-00188

Classification:

Prints

Object Type:

Engraving

Rights Holder:

© Costas and Rita Severis Foundation

Rights Statement:

The Costas and Rita Severis Foundation holds or manages the copyright(s) of this item and its digital reproduction. If you need information about using this item, please send an email to [email protected]

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