Eventlist

Lecturer: Cheryl Simpson
Entry: FREE

Synopsis

Cheryl Simpson is currently completing a doctoral thesis in the department of Modern Greek at Flinders University. Her research is on the heritage meaning of embroidery collections held by Greek/Australian and Greek women. Her field research took her to Greece in 2012, where she spent some time in Epirus. The seminar this evening explores some of the relevant issues pertaining to the legacy of Epirus embroideries from the 19th century.

In the past all textiles produced were imbued with symbols and meanings easily identified by all members of the community. These same symbols and designs are often echoed in other arts and crafts such as architecture ceramics and jewellery. The long and turbulent history of Greece has left a visible legacy in its embroidery designs that have been influenced by Ottoman, Venetian, Genoese and Frankish rule.

Epirus, being under Ottoman power for longer than any other part of Greece had developed a reputation during the rule of Ali Pasha for having a highly successful textile industry.

What are the identifiable influences on the textile designs of the Epirus region during the 18th and 19th century ?

Why did the early collectors of Greek embroideries only include Epirus along with island embroideries as those representing Greek embroidery?

Textiles have historically played a significant role in the household and in the dress of Greek women and tell a story rich with heritage and meaning which continues to have relevance today.

Bio

Cheryl Simpson was a lecturer in Legal Studies at Flinders University, South Australia. She is currently an adjunct lecturer in the School of Humanities and the Creative Arts at Flinders University. She has a long-standing research interest in heritage matters and has published books and articles on this topic ranging from legal issues relating to heritage to cultural heritage and its significance today.

Donors

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For this seminar we'd like to thank the following donors: Dr Marinis & Mrs Maria Pirpiris and Panagiota Stamatopoulou

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