Embroidery of the Greek Islands and Epirus Region

Richly embroidered textiles produced from the early seventeenth to the early nineteenth centuries in the Aegean and Ionian seas and in the Epirus region of Greece offer a unique window into island societies at the intersection of two worlds: the Latin West and Ottoman East. This book is a study of these textiles, customarily produced for bridal trousseaux and used in domestic life. Each Greek Island embroidery tradition demonstrates the complex interactions between the creative energies of an embroiderer, her community and her exposure to the political, economic and social environment in which she lived. These embroidered textiles can be seen as remarkable examples of the power of these island communities to assimilate foreign influences into their own native folk traditions. The book tells a story of the ways that cultural and political history and design are intertwined. It helps us to understand the Greek textile makers, the brilliant choices they made in their work and how they masterfully combined the very different artistic traditions of Greece, Venice and the Ottoman world.