Making, maintaining and washing clothes in traditional Greek society was a woman's job. Closely intertwined with weaving, water was used at all stages, from the manufacture to the maintenance of clothes and linen.
The most important infrastructure for this work was water mills, which incorporated fulling and washing functions. A place of meeting and social exchanges, but also intelligent applications of hydromechanics in pre-industrial Greece, "nerotrives" consisted of the "dristela" and the "madani". The "dristela" was a ecological washing machine whose operation relied solely on the power of water. The water was carried through grooves in specially shaped pipes, where it fell from a height into large funnel-shaped buckets.
The "madani" or "bandani" or "basiri", was a wooden structure for stirring and washing woolen textiles. Set in a natural setting, like a natural or man-made waterfall, it had a series of wooden hammers, which struck the weaves to clean them. The force of the water deep cleaned rugs, carpets, blankets, and woolen clothing. The friction of the yarns caused by the impact combined with the low temperature developed by the freezing water resulted in the fabric becoming thicker, tighter in texture, softer to the touch and partially waterproof.
Traditionally, washing at the water mills began in early summer and lasted until its end. Each family, once a year, loaded their soft furnishings and carpets on mules or donkeys. Washing such heavy clothes was a laborious task that required good physical condition and strength. This was followed by drying and storing them so that they could be used during the chilly winter months.
In this exhibition you will find photos of watermills, fulling devices and beetling mills from various parts of Greece, interviews with operators of watermills who share their trade secrets, watermill schematics and old contracts for renting watermills.
The exhibition contains items from the following institutions:
