Greek tradition shines in centuries of embroidery
A craft that is now fading but has been one of the richest aspects of Greek tradition is the subject of the exhibition «Greek Embroidery, 17th-19th Century,» which begins today at the Pireos annex of the Benaki Museum. Structured across the regions from which the embroideries originate, the exhibition is a joint collaboration between the Angeliki Hadzimichali Foundation, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Benaki Museum and includes 50 embroideries from the collection of each of the two museums. According to the exhibition’s curator and the writer of the supplementary catalog, Tatiana Ioannou-Giannara, most Greek embroideries are in the hands of foreign collectors and museums. The Victoria and Albert owns roughly 1,300 embroideries, a tiny portion of which is now being shown for the first time to the Greek public. In Greece, most of the traditional embroideries are owned by the Benaki and were donated by Hadzimichali. The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Hadzimichali. Greek embroideries include those used on clothing, linen or upholstery and can be classified according to technique, date or motifs. This exhibition has used geographical criteria rather than other methods of classification to allude to the itineraries that Hatzimichali followed in search of material. Differences in style and technique can be applied from region to region. In Thrace, for instance, most embroideries are of wool, while embroideries from the Cyclades are usually decorated with geometric motifs and include a fuller range of colors. Embroideries from Epirus were usually painted first and then embroidered, while in the Ionian Islands the technique differs: The outline of the motif was first made on the fabric with needles and then embroidered. The Sporades offer some of the finest specimens of embroidery (some of the most well known are those from Skyros) perhaps because, as the exhibition’s curator explains, the area was constantly in contact with the big trading centers of Byzantium. Byzantine motifs have survived through Greek embroidery centuries after the demise of the Byzantine Empire. Greek traditional embroideries are a blend of this Byzantine heritage, with motifs inspired by local and historical traditions. According to Giannara, Greek embroidery is distinctive for borrowing motifs from different sources and combining them in rich variations. Each motif symbolizes something different and is part of an intricate and fascinating code derived from traditional costumes and centuries of history. Birds are one of the most typical motifs and, generally, they symbolize fertility and a happy life. Peacocks, a Byzantine motif, fend off bad luck while partridges symbolize the innocence of a new bride. Other symbols include the double-headed eagle, the cypress (which is the tree of life) and the boat. A beautifully decorative and important part of folk tradition, Greek embroideries are both fascinating to see (the closeup images in the catalog, finely designed by Atopos, show every detail and reveal texture) and intriguing to study. The Benaki exhibition is a wonderful introduction to their rich world. At the Benaki Museum New Wing (138 Pireos & Andronikou, Gazi, tel 210.345.3111) to May 28. The exhibition will travel to the Hellenic Center in London in the fall.
