Cypriot Chair Making
The famous Cypriot wooden chairs are made in the village of Fini. Chair making was a difficult occupation that is why only one villager is involved with their creation. Charalambos Charalambous is the only villager who has kept this traditional art alive in Fini.
Earlier on the chair makers had to go through the whole forest in order to choose the wood made by androuklia and latzia which has to be left to dry for months first and then they could be used. They did not have any machinery or glue, only very old tools and their own two hands. The final results though were chairs which could last a lifetime.
Today, factory made beech wood is used, after it is properly prepared so that the maker can create the traditional chairs of excellent quality, decreasing the cost of production. Only a light wood preservation liquid is used in order to keep the wood in its original state and so that it can be used for many years. Mr. Charalambous has a workshop for creating these chairs in Lakatamia. His plans are creating chairs made of walnut and androuklia.
