http://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/62791/fullPolychrome Embroidered Hanging with Star Motifs19th - 20th centuryOverall: 58 x 58 in. (147.3 x 147.3cm)Cotton, cotton threadsCourtesy of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art85.830This textile is richly stitched with burgundy, green, yellow, and white thread on a dark ground. In the center of the textile, concentric circular motifs encircle an 8-pointed star. The ground is lined with a lattice pattern filled with radiating circular motifs, punctuated by white, square designs (?)
This type of embroidery is called Marash embroidery, named after the town of Marash from which it originated. Prior to the Armenian Genocide of 1915-16, the town of Marash (today in present-day Turkey) was home to a large population of Cilician Armenians. The tradition of Marash embroidery has transcended both time and political borders. Following the Genocide, many Armenians fled their homeland to Syria, Lebanon, France, Italy, the United States, and Russia (to the present-day Republic of Armenia). The conflict in Syria beginning in 2011 displaced Armenian communities within the country, many of whom fled to Armenia. Despite these displacements the tradition of embroidery continues to be practiced among the Armenian diaspora around the world.
Textiles147.32030000000E-100E-101645383797