From Constantinople to Vienna: On the Different Tendensies in Greek Orthodox Ecclesiastical Embroidery (17th‑18th Centuries)

Abstract

Abstract: The following article aims at providing an illustrative overview of the representative characteristics of three Schools of embroidery which are linked to Byzantine tradition. Our investigation will consider works of the 17th and 18th centuries produced in Constantinople, Vienna, and lands which used to belong to the eastern periphery of Byzantium, such as Georgia and the Pontus. Our interdisciplinary approach, based on technical art historical enquiry, effectively combines the analysis of iconography, style, and technique. In order to attribute the artifacts to specific workshops we focus on their construction as well as on different factors which characterise their cultural environment.

Keywords

• Greek Orthodox embroidery
• 17th and 18th centuries
• embroidery Schools
• Constantinople
• Vienne
• Georgia