The Textile Museum – Harpies, Mermaids, and Tulips:
Embroidery of the Greek Islands and Epirus Region
March 17 – September 3, 2006
Harpies, Mermaids, and Tulips: Embroidery of the Greek Islands and Epirus Region includes approximately 70 embroidered textiles created between the 17th and 19th centuries for bridal trousseaux and domestic life. The textiles on display are from island groups located in the Ionian and Aegean seas surrounding the Greek mainland, and from the Epirus region on the western Greek coast. While the geographic area where these textiles were made is relatively small, they are incredibly diverse in design, structure and function. The exhibition will explore how and why people living so close together produced such divergent styles of embroidered textiles, offering a unique window into Greek island societies at the intersection of two worlds: the Latin West and Ottoman East. Objects include colorfully-embroidered bed tents, bed curtains, large covers, and pillows, as well as handkerchiefs and embroidered panels from women’s clothing. All of the textiles, except for two loaned objects, are from The Textile Museum’s collections. Many were collected by the Museum’s founder, George Hewitt Myers, in the early part of the 20th century. The exhibition will be accompanied by a full-color catalogue.
Location: The Textile Museum, 2320 S Street NW Washington DC.