The name of the business is an ancient Greek word which is not even mentioned in dictionaries. It is found however in ancient coins of Epirus (from 4th century B.C. to 1st century A.D.) which bear the epigraph APEIROTAN meaning “belongs to the people of Epirus”. Semantically it means “vast state” while etymologically it derives from the word “apiros”- endless .According to one account the word Epirus comes from the word Apeirotan.
In 1982, while starting my business, I also did research on the Paleo-Byzantine craft. The fact that my place of origin is Ioannina and having long researched the meaning of the word itself, we used “Apeirotan” as a distinct name for our business, relating it to the Epiros style in metal workmanship, wishing to contribute to the preservation of the unique Epirotic element.
The metal craft was developed in Epirus where it reached a point of perfection. The craftsmen of Epirus knew well the metalworking processes of all metals and particularly, silver. They made remarkable ecclesiastical and worldly items.
The town of Giannena was the center of a great and very old tradition in metal craft, the roots of which go back to the times when Epirus had her own lord and from the 14th century to the early 19th century constituted a means of trade. The first craftsmen who managed to find a way to determine the graduation of the mixture and the quality of silver were the craftsmen of Giannena who are still ranked at the top of silversmithing worldwide.
With the assistance and care of the old craftsmen and their specimens, the metal craft survived, adjusted and evolved according to modern life. Today, by “Gianniotiki style”, we mean the style which was developed across the entirety of Epirus. It is a real craft with free expression of themes which the craftsman draws up from tradition and adjusts them in an excellent way using the old know–how with manual methods in all stages of production. We practice this particular type of craft today, because it expresses the artistic, spiritual and religious world of our people.