Applicants:
Community Council of Moutoulla
Association of Expatriates and Friends of Moutoulla
Date of inscription
2020
Year of registration:
2020
Description:
The wooden, elongated large kneading trough is made of a semi-circular tree trunk that has been carved internally to form an intense cavity. It is used for making dough for breads or other bakery products. In earlier times, it was an essential item in every Cypriot home and one of the most important pieces of equipment for housewives. These troughs were made by specialised craftsmen, the 'scafarides', who usually worked in the mountain villages of Troodos where they found their raw material, i.e. suitable tree trunks.
Method of construction: with special tools, a large piece of thick pine tree trunk was carved on the outside and inside to make the trough (usually it was about 80cm long, 40cm wide and 16-18cm high). The inside was smooth and the walls were 1-2cm thick. When necessary, external metal plates were added on the edges for reinforcement. There were also smaller troughs, the so-called skafithkia (plural). These were about 60cm long, 28-30cm wide and about 13cm high. Apart from kneading, the troughs were used for washing clothes, feeding animals but also bathing. Today, there are still woodworkers who have their own workshops or work in their backyards and try to pass on their craft to younger members of their family.