By Susan L. MacMillan
Museum Of Fine Arts Boston
Greek Island Embroidery
By Susan L. MacMillan
Museum Of Fine Arts Boston
Greek Island Embroidery
Table of Contents The Ionian Islands
7
Crete
19
Northern Sporades
31
Cyclades
44
Dodecanese
56
The Ionian Islands are the greenest and most fertile of all the island groups, characterized by olive groves and cypresses. Lying off the west coast of mainland Greece, these islands have been greatly influenced by Western Europe, in part because the Turks never managed to gain control here, except of the island of Lefkada.
The islet of Vlacherna with its small convernt, reached by a short causeway from Corfu Island.
7
The Ionian Islands Corfu......................................................................
104,371
Paxos.....................................................................
2,300
Lefkada..................................................................
22,652
Ithaca.....................................................................
3,231
Kefallonia...............................................................
14,000
Zakynthos..............................................................
40,759
Famous as the homeland of Homer’s Odysseus, the Ionian Islands were colonized by the Corinthians in the 8th century BC and flourished as a wealthy trading post for its members.
In the 5th century BC Corfu defeated Corinth and
rugged beauty of Kefallonia and mountainous Corfu.
joined the Athenians, instigating the Peloponnesian
The group historically includes Kythira, but in this
War. The Ionians first became a holiday destination
guid it is included under the Argo Saronic Islands
during the Roman era.
due to easier transport connections.
The islands were not politically grouped together
The islands lie on a fault line, which runs south down
until Byzantine times. They were later occupied by
Greece’s west coast, and have been subjected to
the Venetians whose rule began in 1363 and lasted
much earthquake damage. Kefallonia and Zakynthos
until 1797. After a brief period of French rule the
in particular suffered massive destruction in the
British took over in 1814. The islands were finally
summer of 1953.
ceded to the Greek state in 1864. Summers are hot and dry but for the rest of the Evidence of the various periods of occupation can
year the islands have a mild climate; above-average
be seen throughout the islands, especially in Corfu
rainfall supports the lush greenery. There is a huge
town which contains a mixture of Italian, French
variety of beaches throughout the Ionians, from
and British architecture.
resorts providing lively nightlife to quieter stretches, virtually untouched by tourism.
Each island has its own distinct character, from tiny Paxos covered in olive groves, to rocky Ithaca, the
One face of a cushion cover Epirus, Joanninina. Gift of Mrs. John Dane.
Small and rugged, Ithaca is famous, according to Homer’s epic the Odyssey, as the home of Odysseus. Finds on Ithaca date back as far as 4000–3000 BC, and by Mycenaean times it had developed into the capitol of a kingdom that included its larger A view overlooking the norwestern island of Asos.
neighbor, Kefallonia.
Ithaca
One face of a cusion cover, the Ionian Islands, 17 x 21 in.,
One face of a cusion cover, the Ionian Islands,15 x 21 in.,
The ELizabeth Day McCormick Collection.
The ELizabeth Day McCormick Collection.
Joannina, the capital of the province of Epirus on
and his courtiers for brocaded textiles, embroideries,
the Greek mainland, was the seat of the court of the
jewelry, and metalwork attracted hundreds of
Turk Ali Pasha, who ruled over the area stretching
merchants and craftsmen who flocked to the city
from Thessaly to Macedonia and well into present-
to profit from court commissions. The fame of
day Albania from the late eighteenth century until
this sumptuous court encouraged art dealers to
the very early nineteenth. Ali’s court was fabled for
arbitrarily label almost any type of Greekembroidery
its opulence and luxury, and under his despotic
that appeared on the Western market as “Joannina
rule Joannina was one of the most flourishing trade
(Yannina, Janina) work.”
centers in Greece. The huge market provided by Ali
One face of a cusion cover, the Ionian Islands, 37 x 19 in.,
Maitland Rotunda situated in the Esplanade.
The ELizabeth Day McCormick Collection.
Corfu is a green island offering the diverse attractions of secluded coves, stretches of wild coast, bands of coast
Corfu
given over totally to resorts and traditional hill-villages. In 229 BC it became a colony of the Roman Empire, remaining so until AD 337. Byzantine rule then began, intermittently broken by the Goths, the Normans and Angevin rule. Situated between Italy and the Greek mainland, its strategic importance continued under Venetian rule (1386–1797). French rule (1804–14) saw the Greek language restored and the founding of the Ionian Academy, set up for the development of the arts. A period of British rule (1814–64) was followed by unification with Greece.
Detail of a bedcover border, the Ionian Islands, 98 in wide., Ross Collection.
Today it is felt that only one style of embroidery can
Hangings with a completely embroidered surface
be assigned with any certainty to this city (figs. 1,
are usually composites of borders from a number of
2). These embroideries, usually cushion covers,
bed covers that have been sewn together.
bed covers, and hangings , have much in common with Turkish silk weavings , which the needlework-
Another type of embroidery worked in Epirus or on
ers of J oannina may have been trying to simulate,
the Ionian Islands is that represented by figures 3-5
such textiles being extremely expensive even for
and plate II. This embroidery differs from that as-
members of the court.
signed to J oannina in that the design is less dense,
The most common pattern of these embroideries features the rose The most common pattern of these embroideries features the rose spray encased in leaves, an ogival spray encased in an ogival compartment formed by two as comwell partment formed by two leaves, although pomeas pomegranates , artichokes , tulips, and hyacinths. granates , artichokes , tulips, and hyacinths also
Lefkada
th .e predominant stitches used are split and darning, and the favorite color scheme is based on reds or pinks and a bright blue. These embroideries are most often cushion covers, distinguished by figural scenes of horsemen or bridal parties, and bed cov-
figure prominently.
ers with heraldic floral and animal designs. Embroi-
Bed covers and hangings were seldom embroi-
deries of this type have been traditionally attributed
dered in an allover pattern. Needlework was usually
to the Ionian Islands, but they may also have been
confined to the four sides with the center left plain.
worked on the mainland.
Lefkada offers variety, from moutnain villages to beach resorts. It has had a turbulent history, typical of the Ionian Islands, since the Corinthians took control of the island from the Akarnanians in 640 BC, right up until the British left the island in 1864.
Local fishing boats moored at the eastern end of the harbour at Gaios.
13 Detail of one face of a cushion cover Epirus, Joanninina. Gift of Mrs. John Dane.
Paxos is green and wooded, with a few farming and fishing villages. The thick groves of olive trees are still a major part of the island’s economy. In mythology, Poseidon created Paxos for his mistress, and its small size has saved it from the turbulent history of its larger neighbours. Paxos became part of the Greek state along with in 1864.
Paxos
The Turkish occupation of Epirus would account for
crossstitched borders resemble the disputed pieces
the popularity of tulip and hyacinth designs, both
mentioned above in their preference for peacocks
hallmarks of embroidery worked in Turkey, and for
and animals flanking a central fountain or tree,
the turbaned horsemen on the cushion covers.
but they differ in technique. Whereas the patterns
However, although the Ionian Islanders were under
worked in split or darning stitch are freely drawn on
Venetian instead of Turkish control, they would still
the ground material, the cross-stitched designs are
have had interchange with the Greek mainland,
calculated by counting the threads of the ground
which geographically was far more accessible to
weave.
them than Italy; and Turkish motifs used in Epirus could certainly have been known to them through
The second category of embroidery assigned to
trade and visits to the mainland.
the Ionian Islands, drawn thread work, is also based on the counted threads method. This type of
Less controversy surrounds two other categories of
embroidery was common in Italy, and knowledge of
embroidery from this region, cross-stitched work and
the technique on the islands reflects their centuries-
drawn thread work, which seem correctly attributed
long domination by Italian powers.
to the Ionian Islands. Covers and hangings with
Kefallonia
Arcahelogic finds date Kefallonia’s first inhabitants to about 50,000 BC. In Mycenaean times the island flourished and remained Greek until the 2nd century BC when it was captured by the Romans. It was squabbled over by many powers but from 1500 to 1700 it shared the Ionians’ history of Venetian occupation. Kefallonia’s attractions range from busy beach resorts to Mount Ainos National Park, which surrounds the Ionians’ highest peak.
A view overlooking the norwestern island of Kefallonia.
15 Detail of a bedcover border, the Ionian Islands, 98 in wide., Ross Collection.
The colors of these embroideries are usually strong, deep tones of green, blue, wine red, and yellow, and the predominant stitch used is the herringbone.
In The Home
On the Crete Island of Chania there exists a folklore
in relieving the gloom of these rather cheerless
musuem that has recreations of 18th and 19th
homes. Other notes of color could be found in
century homes. Like most folk arts, the embroidery
the polychromed ceramics, which were displayed
of Greek islands had a dual purpose. Although the
on plate racks on the walls and in the carved
main incentive to embroider was certainly to answer
and painted wooden ceilings. At one end of the
aesthetic needs, the objects thus decorated served
rectangular room was a hearth for cooking and at
utilitarian purposes as well.
the other, above a closed storage area, was a rasied platform for sleeping. As the sleeping quarters
Most towns of the Aegean islands were arranged
opened on to the main living area, bed curtains
with the houses facing inward onto a central square,
reaching from the ceiling to the top of the platform
usally the site of the church. The windowless back
were used to insure privacy. The bed curtains
walls of these units formed a primitive defense
provided the largest single area of embroidery and
against pirates. As the average dwelling consisted
constituted the most impressive decorative accent
simply of one room, often with only one small
in the room. Small rectangular embroidered panels
window, colorfully embroidered pillows, curtains,
called “sindonia� were hung on the walls or along
and decorative panels played an all-important role
the sides of the sleeping platfrm.
One face of a cusion cover,
Detail of a bedcover border,
the Ionian Islands, 17 x 21 in.,
the Ionian Islands, 98 in wide.,
The ELizabeth Day McCormick
Ross Collection.
Collection.
17
Two major factors determined the most prevalent types of embroideries; first, the nature of the domestic architecture that prevailed with relatively minor variations, on most of the Greek islands; second, the social customs and rituals that governed the lives of the islanders.
Folklore Museum of Chania – Cretan House, from chaniatourism.com
Cope, or a rain jacket, would possibly be hung here. Cope, Crete,H. 51 1/2 in. W. 98 1/2 in. Gift of Mrs. Jesse H. Metcalf.
The island of Crete is dominated by harsh, soaring mountains whose uncompromising impregnability is etched deep into the Cretan psyche. For centuries, cut off by these mountains and isolated by sea, the character of the island people has been proudly independent. Many conquerors have come and gone but the Cretan passion for individuality and freedom has never been extinguished.
A palm-fringed estuary meets the sea at Preveli Beach on Crete’s southern coast.
19
Crete Chania...................................................................
53,910
Rethymno..............................................................
40,000
Irakleio...................................................................
49,642
Lasithi....................................................................
75,381
Cretan needlewomen produced some of the finest of the Greek islands embroideries and the only ones for which dated examples are known.
Most of these dated pieces were worked in the
The majority of existing pieces probably date
eighteenth century, although embroidery in the
from the later seventeenth and the eighteenth
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York includes
centuries or from the first part of the nineteenth. A
the date 1697. Although the New York piece is
large percentage of surviving fragments of Cretan
sufficiently sophisticated to presuppose a long
embroidery originally served as skirt borders, and
tradition of embroidery on Crete, no earlier dated
as embroidered costumes were no longer worn
works are known.
by the middle of the last century, one of the major incentives to embroider ceased to exist.
Irakleio
A settlement since the Neolithic era, Irakleio served as a port for Knosos in Roman times. Under Venetian rule in the 13th century, it became known as Candia, the capital of the Aegan territories. Today the sprawl of traffic-jammed streets and concrete apartment buildings detracts from Irakleio’s appeal. Yet, despite first impressions, the island’s capital harbours a wealth of Venetian archetecture, including the city walls and fortress.
The Bembo drinking fountain, Plateia Kornarou.
21 One face of a cushion cover, Crete. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Harry A. Hill.
Detail of Cope, Gift of Mrs. Jess H. Metcalf.
Although many of the Greek islands were under Venetian control for centuries, Crete is the only one where Western influences can frequently be detected in the embroidery. A variety of stitches such as satin, herringbone, chain, and French knots were employed, although the most common was a stitch peculiar to the island, Cretan feather stitch.
Goats grazing on the Akrotiri Penisnula.
Cope, Crete,H. 51 1/2 in. W. 98 1/2 in. Gift of Mrs. Jesse H. Metcalf.
Set against a spectacular backdrop of majecstic
ancient Kydonia, Chania has been fought over and
mountains and aquamarie seas, Chania is one
controlled by the Romans, Byzantines, Venetians,
of the island’s most appealing cities and a good
Genoese, Turks, and the Egyptians. Following
base from which to explore western Crete. Its
unification with Greece in 1913, the island saw
stately Neo-Classical mansions and massive
yet another invasion during WWII - this time by the
Venetian fortifications testify to the city’s turbulent
German army in 1941, when the Battle of Crete
and diverse past. Once the Minoan settlement of
raged around Chania.
Chania
The double tailed mermaid or siren and the
the availability of Venetian lace books, or examples of the lace itself, on the island. Embroideries on
friezelike arrangements of urns and vases of flowers both recall Italian work.
Crete drew on Turkish and Byzantine traditions as well as on Italian. The double-headed eagle was inherited from
Although the siren appears in the folk art of southern Italy, this motif was probably transmitted
Byzantine and Near Eastern sources.
to Crete through sixteenth century Venetian lace
Rethymno
and pattern books. 1 Like the Cretan embroidery,
The tulip and carnation motif may also have been
illustrations in these books often show a siren
borrowed from Near Eastern designs, but Wace
holding her two tails, which sometimes merge
points out that as these motifs had already been
with floral forms. Some Cretan embroidery also
assimilated into Italian art, they could have been
includes a lappet border, which further indicates
known on the islands through Western art as well.
Once the Greco-Roman town of Rithymna, the
much of its charm and remains the intellectual
site of today’s Rethymno has been occupied since
capitoal of Crete. The old quarter is rich in elegant,
Minoan times. The city flourised under Venetian
well-perserved Venetian and Ottoman architecture.
rule duringthe 16th century, developing into a
The Venetian Fortesta, built in the 16th century to
literary and artistic centre, and becoming a haven
defend the island against the incresasing attacks by
for scholars fleeing Constantinople. Despite modern
pirates, overlooks the picturesque harbour with its
development and tourism, the city today has retained
charming 13th century light house.
Detail of a one face of a cushion cover, Crete. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Harry A. Hill.
The islet of Spinalonga off the coast of Elounta.
Lasithi
High up in the formidable Dikti mountains, the
above sea level and encircled by mountains. Fruit,
bowl-shaped plain of Lasithi was for centuries shut
potatoes, and cereals are the main crops here,
off from the outside world. A row of stone windmills
thanks to the fertile alluvial soil washed down from
at the Seli AMpelou Pass marks the main entry
the mountains. A few cloth-sailed windmills are still
to the plateau, a flat agricultural area lying 800m
used today to pump irrigation water.
27 One face of a cushion cover, Crete. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Harry A. Hill.
Cretain embroideries were generally either monochrome red or blue, or brilliantly multicolored.