14/11/2006
The Tournovo wood sculptors (names of the Tournovo wood sculptors)

Triantaphyllos Sioulis © Ioannina Prefecture

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The origin of all these wood sculptors at Tournovo has been preserved to this day in a tradition, in accordance with which the Skalistes family were the original wood sculptors at Metsovo. However, Ms. Hatzimichali mentions that they fled here after being persecuted by Ali Pasha.
The noteworthy and the famous in the Konitsa region were the descendants of the Skalistes family from Tournovo, Anastasios Taliadoros, his son Demetris, his grandson Markos - (the most famous of all, who married at Siopotseli (Dilopho) of Zagorion and practiced wood sculptured throughout the whole of Zagorion ) – Basilis the great grandson of Anastasios Taliadoros, his son Lambros Taliadoros. Furthermore, from Liskatsi in the Konitsa region was Giorgis Chrestos, a figure with patriotic and philanthropic action. Anastasis with his brothers Giannis and Giorgos constructed the iconostasis of Aghios Charalambos at Preveza, the iconostasis of Aghios Athanasios at Ioannina (Metropolis), the iconostases for the Metropolis at Sopike in North Epirus and iconostases at many of the villages of Pogonion, Argyrokastron, Aghion Saranta, Cheimarra and Premete.
In addition to the Skalistes family (which commenced with mastro-Tasi who lived from the end of the 18th century until the middle of the 19th, whilst from amongst his children Konstantinos or Kotoulas, Ioannis and Demetris the last maintained the name Sechis), which continued a two century tradition to this day, it related to the Sechis family, the Bouris brothers who were mainly carpenters and secondly wood sculptors as well as Themistocles Papageorgios (2nd half of the 19th century). In the Sechis family certain members have appeared with the surname Taliadoros – Taliadouros or Skalistes.
In relation to the Tournovo wood sculptors, Plataris further to a discussion that he had with Alexandros Bouris or Taliadoros (1897-1970), has preserved the following names:
«A΄. Bouris or Taliadoros Family with Kostas Bouras or Bouris, his children Andreas Bouris (carpenter), Apostolos Bouris (carpenter) and Christodoulos Bouris (priest), who also changed the surname from Bouris to Vouris. His children Apostolis, Demetris Bouris (carpenter), Georgios Bouris or Taliadoros (1851-1935) (wood sculptor), Thanasis Bouris (carpenter) and his children Georgios, Nikolaos Bouris or Taliadoros (1879-1911) (painter), Angelis Bouris or Taliadoros (1844-1957) (wood sculptor) and Alexandros Bouris or Taliadoros (1897-1970) (wood sculptor).
B΄. Skalistes or Siachas family with Kostas Skalistes, Demetris Skalistes (Siachas) (1827 – 1916 or 1917) wood sculptor, Giannis Skalistes, Basilis Skalistes (son of Kostas) wood sculptor, Markos Skalistes (son of Demetris) (1886 – 1948) wood sculptor, the children of Giannis, Nikolaos (wood sculptor) and Georgios (carpenter), his children Basilis Kostas (priest at Eptachorion) wood sculptor, Charalambos (at Ioannina) wood sculptor and Georgios (at Agrinion) wood sculptor, as well as the son of Markos, Zosimos or Zosimas (carpenter).
C΄. Roumelis family (with registry particulars) with the first being Nikolaos Roumelis (1830 – 1890) wood sculptor and Giorgos Ν. Roumelis (1870 – 1940) carpenter.
D΄. Papageorgios family (registry particulars) with Kostas Papageorgios (1830 – 1900) wood sculptor (who constructed in accordance with the testimony of Alexandros Bouris the throne for the king of Bulgaria and died at Varna) and Themistocles Papageorgios (1870 – 1940) wood sculptor».
In relation to the Konitsa region other names of wood sculptors and their journeys have also survived. «A multitude of wood sculptors endowed the villages of Epirus with all the branches of wood sculpture (ecclesiastical, secular, pastoral), such as Tournovo (Gorgopotamos), Liskatsi (Asemochori), Vourbiane, Metsovo, Samarina and others. …. The wood sculptors followed the gangs of craftsmen on their journeys and they worked together. On most occasions, the wood sculptors did not write their names, and accordingly very few names have survived down to the present day. Pyrsogianne is renowned only in relation to the stone masons and the gangs of its craftsmen. Beside them also work carpenter craftsmen from Pyrsogianne who have left behind noteworthy wood sculptured works throughout the entire Balkans. Giorgos Peronis and his son Giannoulis reached as far as the Caucasus. Giannoulis worked for many years at Bitolia (Monasteri) in Serbia. He was distinguished more for the construction of minarets (timber obelisk). He has left behind many works in neighbouring Albania and dies at Pyrsogianne at the beginning of the century (i.e. the 20th). In fact he carried with him from Bitolia and the stone carved slab for his grave, which has lasted to this day at the Pyrsogianne cemetery. Amongst the renowned Pyrsogianne carpenters were the Pagnaioi (Pagonis family), the Doukaioi (Doukas family) and Charalambos Zgolombes. Amongst the more recent are Stephanos Doukas, Basilis Peronis and his son Dionysis, who worked in old Greece (Sparta, Xylokastron) and in Epirus».
Chrestides mentions that «the ceiling builders from Konitsa and the sculptors, originated from the villages, with the main being Tournovo (Gorgopotamos) and Liskatsi (Asemochori), where nearly everyone exercised this profession, as well as Chionades and Vourbiane».
At Ioannina we have encountered the following workshops for the art of wood sculpture or the companies of: 1) Letsios Avgerinos; 2) Ch. Petsios and G. Balakos; 3) Β. Betsis and S. Chouliaras (who have established Xyloglyptike Ο.Ε.); 4) Ch. Karatzas; 5) Α. Katsanos and Ch. Theodorides (Ο.Ε.); 6) Eu. Stamoules and Κ. Rizos (Ο.Ε.); 7) L. Georgiades Bros; 8) G. Georgiades; 9) S. Vangelis and L. Tasioulas (Ο.Ε.); 10) Μ. Tsontzos and Α. Elias (Ο.Ε.); 11) Vangelis Κ. Gogos; 12) Ν. Kyrkos;
In the rest of Epirus we have encountered the workshops of Christides Demetrios from Aedonochorion at Konitsa who has his display at Bourazani and of Elli Papademetriou and Associates Ε.Ε., from Grammenitsa in Arta. Assuredly, in addition to these there shall be others, smaller or larger and in other regions of Epirus. Many of these artists have exhibited their works in a group pavilion of Ε.Ο.Μ.Μ.Ε.Χ at the 5th Pan Hellenic trade exhibition of HELEXPO, «Epirus ‘97», that was held on 4th – 8th June 1997 at Ioannina.