Object ID
1998.7.5.2
Object Name
Card, Greeting
Measurements
8.73252 cm. W x 13.6525 cm. L, Item (Overall)
Material
Paper
Object Entities
Vournas, Masrian (is related to)
Pamel, Peggy (is related to)
Access Points
Object Description
This is a handcrafted greeting card, about 3 1/2" x 5".   The background is a light translucent green that fades to a soft yellow as it gets closer to the edges. The card features another smaller folded card attached to its cover.  This smaller card is painted to look like a leather-bound book.  The binding is a soft peach color outlined in red with the word "HELLAS" written in Greek vertically down it's spine in gold lettering.  Golden glitter is used to highlight some of the defining lines and features on the book. 

The cover of the attached book features an evzone, a kilted soldier belonging to an elite Greek military regiment, blowing a bugle in front of a huge blue and white Greek flag. On the ground to the right and beneath the flag, a couple of tambourines are piled on top of each other.  When you open this little book, there is a picture of the Parthenon, outlined in golden glitter and punctuated with scattered broken columns in the foreground and a light blue sky in the background.

On the card itself and surrounding the attached book, are roses painted in various shades of a delicate peach or pink.  Hints of green leaves peer out from behind the book and among the roses.  A single long-stemmed rose completes the floral embellishment at bottom of the attached book.  The card itself has a blue and white cord in its fold - It is tied at the bottom with a simple knot.

Opening the card, you'll see a folded piece of coordinating stationary held in place with the blue and white cord described earlier.  On the left, is a note hand-written in Greek.  On the right, there is a commercially printed message in Greek  with two large roses with stems and leaves beneath it.
Origin
The Evzones, or Evzoni, is the name of several historical elite light infantry and mountain units of the Greek Army. Today, it refers to the members of the Presidential Guard, an elite ceremonial unit that guards the Greek Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Presidential Mansion, and the gate of Evzones camp in Athens.

The unit is famous around the world for its unique traditional uniform, which has evolved from the clothes worn by the klephts who fought the Ottoman occupation of Greece. The most visible item of this uniform is the fustanella, a kilt-like garment. Their proven valour and peculiar dress turned them into a popular image for the Greek soldier, especially among foreigners.
Rights and Reproduction
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Citation
Card, Greeting, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/11211. Accessed 04/19/24.