Armenian needlelace (also known as Bebilla, Nazareth Lace and Knotted Lace) is a pure form of needle lace made using only a needle, thread and pair of scissors.
Various threads are used in embroidery: cotton, silk, wool (often colored), as well as beads, pearls, feathers, precious stones, gold threads, silver threads, coins, etc.
Embroidery is used to decorate clothes, hats, blankets, socks, household items to create decorative images.
History
Like lacis, or filet lace, Armenian needlelace seems to be an obvious descendant of net makingfact. Where lacis adds decorative stitches to a net ground, Armenian needlelace involves making the net itself decorative. Representations of the lace have been described on ancient statuary, and in centuries-old stonework.[1]
There is some archeological evidence suggesting the use of lace in prehistoric Armenia and the prevalence of pre-Christian symbology in traditional designs would certainly suggest a pre-Christian root for this art form.[2]
In contrast to Europe where lace was the preserve of the nobility, in Armenia it decorated everything from traditional headscarves to lingerie and lacemaking was part of many or most women's lives.
Technique
The lace is made by tying knots, usually tied onto the previous round of the piece creating small loops of thread onto which the next round of knots can be tied. Patterns are created by varying the length of the loops, missing loops from the previous round, adding extra loops and similar.
When used as an edging the lace can be made directly onto the hem of the fabric being edged. When a doily or freeform object (such as the birds and flowers decorating traditional headscarves) is being started a series of loops is tied onto a slip knot which is pulled tight to complete the first round.[3]
Armenian embroidery is rich in materials used as a base - leather, fabric, etc., as well as thread types and additional decorations. All kinds of wool, cotton, silk textures and home-made threads are used in traditional Armenian embroidery. The main tools of embroidery are a needle, thimble, scissors and a frame, which was of two types - square and circular. The square circles were called karkah (it’s a frame for embroidery). If embroidery stands were large, were adapted to be placed on the ground, and if small, to be fixed on the table. Golden thread embroidery is a constituent part of Armenian artistic needlework, which was widely spread throughout Armenia since ancient times. Armenian masters knew many ways of performing gold thread and silver thread embroidery, whose component parts were gold and silver.
Types of Embroidery
The patterns in Armenian embroidery are diverse, ranging from plant and animal ornaments to geometric figures and depictions of heavenly bodies. Embroiderers in different settlements developed these patterns in their own unique ways. There are also various types of embroideries, and samples have been preserved in Matenadaran, proving the diversity of Armenian embroidery. The most common types of embroidery include:
chainsaw
ring
side by side suture
crossing suture
knitting needle suture
In the case of thread-weight sewing, the place of the threads pulled from the fabric is patterned with other threads,
Topstitch has its types:
Patterns are made from other pieces on a large piece.
Filling - the surface of the cloth is filled with patterns.
Hammock thread covers the surface of the pattern by the threads of the fabric
Embroiderers of different places used different stitches, in the white embroidery of Aintap, the patterns were made with thread, hammer, and linear platform. The platform of Marash embroidery is called needle-needle, the stitches are uneven, and the pattern is covered over the cloth by taking only a few threads from the cloth with the working thread.
Ancient Armenian Embroidery
Embroidery was widespread in all Armenian regions, concentrating in Van-Vaspurakan, Shirak-Karin, Syunik-Artsakh, Ararat land, Cilicia and the two major centers of Armenian culture in Tbilisi and Constantinople, as well as in the schools of settlements. Keeping the national uniform style, each school has developed its own forms and types of embroidery.
Armenian embroidery mainly developed in three major branches:
democratic, related to rural dress and lifestyle
urban, commercial-industrial
ecclesiastical
Ecclesiastical Embroidery
Ecclesiastical embroidery is divided into two groups: embroidered items used during church utensils and rituals, and fabrics used for the ritual clothing of clergy. The first group includes curtains, aprons, table and other covers, crucifixes, towels, handkerchiefs for holding the cross, carpets, pillows, decorations of the throne of the Catholicos, embroidered pictures, etc.
The second group consists of embroidered shirts, crowns and helmets, belts, slippers, etc. One of the important components of the interior decoration of Armenian churches are the curtains, which are of three types - the tabernacle, the baptistery, and the baptismal basin. On the curtains are depicted Holy Mother, the four Evangelists, the vision of St. Gregory the Illuminator, St. Gevorg and other scenes with biblical themes.
There are two types of embroidered church carpets: eagle carpets and floral carpets. Floral carpets are woven with different threads and techniques and very densely placed ornaments. The floral patterns of these carpets have a lot in common with the frescoes and sculptures of Etchmiadzin Cathedral, which allows us to assume that they were also specially ordered and made in embroidery workshops. Eagle carpets are of special interest. These are quadrangular and round fabrics of different sizes, on which eagles are embroidered with images of snakes, scorpions above or below.
Armenian Embroidery
Embroidery is one of the widely spread crafts in Armenia, which has an ancient origin. Since the 5th century, Armenian historians have left descriptions of luxurious clothing and church decorations, most of which were embroidered. Thanks to them, we have data and information on Armenian textiles from the early Middle Ages, which at the same time indirectly testify to the earlier origin of embroidery.
Other evidences of the high development of embroidery in medieval Armenia are the miniatures. The miniatures contain very valuable pictorial and descriptive data on needlework. The variety of embroidered items in the miniatures makes it possible to distinguish three groups of embroidery: clothes, household items, and ecclesiastical outfit.
The 13th century fabric samples found in the excavations of Ani are high-value examples of embroidery. Among the exceptional samples, the silk clothes, blankets, and other pieces of fabric taken from the tomb of Tigran Honents' relative stand out. The mentioned items are embroidered with different threads, embroideries and ornaments, which gives an opportunity to get an idea about the features of medieval Armenian embroidery, the high skill of accomplishment, and in particular the aesthetic taste and other phenomena of the population of Ani.
Remarkable examples of medieval embroidery are the textures pasted under the covers of the Matenadaran manuscripts, three of which N3661 (copied in 1267), N521 (XIV century), N1518 (XVI century) were studied and described by Davtyan. They are interesting from the point of view of the fabric, the threads and, especially, the ornaments and embroidery techniques. Incomparably large and rich are the collections of church silk thread, gold thread precious embroidery, among which the oldest sample is the religious banner of Etchmiadzin Treasury.
Van-Vaspurakan Embroidery
Van was Armenian with various needlework, Armenians spread the Van stitch in different countries: Cilicia, Constantinople, and Middle East. Van was also famous for its types of lace. In the fine embroidered laces, ancient motifs of the universe, flora and fauna, geometric motifs have been preserved. Lace was made by tying knots that were usually tied in the previous round of cloth, creating small loops of thread that were tied into subsequent knots. The patterns were created by changing the length of the loops, adding additional loops to the previous loops.[4] Tablecloths, curtains, carpets, handcrafts of monasteries (Lim, Aghtamar, Varagavank, Msho Arakelots monastery, etc.) were preserved from Van-Vaspurakan. Clothes, necklaces, bracelets, cuffs, aprons, kachak-chambars, mezars, etc. were decorated. Men's clothes also had embroidered parts, including pants and shawls, whose fabric with bunches protected them from cold and rain. Among the samples in the Yerevan State Museum, a 6 and a half-meter-long towel embroidered by Van is preserved, and the napkins also had ornaments. Preserved samples of needlework feature many images of the tree of life. At the beginning of the 20th century, embroideries with patriotic and historical scenes gained popularity. Examples include: "Mother Armenia," "Artsiv Vaspurakani," "Khrimyan Hayrik," "Varaga Monastery," "Aghtamar," "Sipana Sar".[5] The royal flag of Artsrun is a remarkable embroidered work.
Shirak-Karin Embroidery
The oldest examples of embroidery are from the 10th-13th centuries. Among them are the clothes from the tomb of a relative of Tigran Honentsi, discovered by N. Mar during the excavations of Ani, including the top, cover, and other samples.[6] A masterpiece of Ani's handiwork is the image of a lion and a lioness made with gold thread on a black veil, displayed on a tree stand. The miniatures of the manuscripts preserved in Matenadaran are noteworthy, where embroidered pieces are used instead of the lining of the cover, depicting trees of life and plant ornaments. Ani's embroidery is characterized by intricate stitching, where one image is stitched with several types of stitches, and the gold thread and silk thread harmoniously complement each other.
In the 19th century, the regions of Shirak and the city of Gyumri, renowned for their rich culture, housed embroiderers' workshops where more than seven dozen masters and six dozen apprentices worked alongside two hundred silk and gold thread embroiderers. Similar organizations were also found in Shushi, Yerevan, Tiflis, Nor Bayazet, and Karin. One notable master embroiderer, Melkon Chilingaryan, showcased the Armenian costume (Armenian cloth) at Caucasian exhibitions in London, Paris, Moscow, and Petersburg between 1853-1873. In Shirak-Karin, the production of embroidered cloth flourished, adorned with various patterns. A diverse collection of embroidered towels exists, with each towel featuring a unique ornament. Additionally, there are preserved samples of silk purses decorated with gold thread. A church curtain has been preserved, and its inscription indicates that it was dedicated to the Church of St. Lusavorch by Maryam in 1613. When Armenians migrated from Karin, they also brought along embroidered images known as "Seven Wounds." The depiction of "Seven Wounds" can be found in the ‘’St. Yot Verk’’ Church of Gyumri.[7] In Kharberd, women were also involved in embroidery, particularly notable were the embroidered saltas, a short top with long sleeves adorned with floral motifs in gold thread.[8]
Syunik Embroidery
The embroidery tradition in Syunik extends to the Zangezur, Sisian, Goris, and Kapan regions. The earliest examples of embroidery found in these communities date back to the 17th century. These works feature intricate patterns, pearls, and gem embellishments, crafted with gold thread. Various elements of costumes, such as ties, shirt chests, and buttonholes, were adorned with embroidery. Members of the upper class, both men and women, had their ‘’mahude mushtas’’ intricately embroidered with gold thread.
Household items like curtains, pillows, towels, and tablecloths were beautifully embroidered. Towels showcased a variety of embroidery styles, including white and colored threads, flat and thread-weight techniques. Common patterns included the S-shaped tree of life and cross-stitch designs. Spoon bowls were also embellished with embroidery.
Syunik's embroidery extended to the ‘’giardaklyoch’’, the embroidered head of the curtain that adorns the bride's corner. This piece was adorned with ribbons and acorn, the latter covered in embroidery. Magical items like ‘’dzhu-chamayil’’ and ‘’fridayanuk’’ were also decorated with embroidery. Girls' and brides' shoes featured intricate gold thread embroidery.
Noteworthy were the tassel-handles, embroidered with carpet patterns, using various stitches such as shulal, flat, chain, and cross stitch. Pipe and lamp glass cases were also embroidered and adorned with beads. Luxurious floral patterns decorated the cover of the baby's crib.
A renowned example is the ‘’kranpapatan’’, embroidered with floral patterns using colored silk thread. Syunik gained fame for its overhead embroidery, where patterns cut from different cloth were attached to a single-shaded fabric with ornaments. Towels often showcased embroidered patterns in the shape of a tree of life.
In 1651, Catholicos Philip received an embroidered eagle carpet presented by the priest Voskan.[9] This remarkable piece featured golden and silver feathers, a large eagle, cross domes on both sides, heavenly luminaries, and the image of a man above. The embroidery was convex, with intricate vegetable patterns. Syunik's monasteries also housed remarkable embroidered curtains, including a preserved sample crafted by Grigor Tatevevatsi’s sister at the Tatev monastery.
Ararat Embroidery
Ararat embroidery has a long history and ancient traditions. Already in the 19th and 20th centuries, he embroidered suede coats, bras, and linens. The cylindrical cushions of the couch, the mutt akas, were embroidered with gold thread and silk thread. Beadwork was also used at the same time. Curtains, tablecloths, towels, candlestick tablecloths, handkerchiefs, purses were also embroidered. The embroidered items of the Ararat valley are decorated with gold threads, glitters, and pearl threads. The embroidered church items preserved from the 17th century are notable for their embroidered offering letters.[10] A manuscript copied in 1684 is kept in the Matenadaran, it has a satin cover. The shirt is made of silk black satin, embroidered with clapiton in golden thread, decorated with pearls, with two and three legs. There are embroidered carpets in the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the eagle carpets were embroidered with silk threads and convex flats. Gold thread embroidered carpets on ‘’mahudi’’ or ‘’tavits’’ are made with top embroidery. There are a lot of embroidered samples of church vestments, lapels, and blinds. One of the oldest veils is the veil of the Catholicos of Khachatur (16th century), on one side is Mary holding the baby Jesus, on the other, Christ crucified. The gold thread embroidered surface is covered with ornaments made of silver thread, it is decorated with beads, and there is a large crystal and 5 hyacinths on it.
Cilicia Embroidery
Handmade art has a long history in Cilicia, dating back to ancient times. Even after the fall of the kingdom and during periods of foreign rule, Armenians in Cilicia continued to preserve their artistic traditions, crafts, and culture. In the 19th century, embroidery emerged as a highly developed art form in Cilicia, with each settlement having its unique and distinct style of embroidery.
Ayntap’s sewing
Marash’s sewing
Urfa’s sewing
Svaz’s sewing
Rubinyants’s sewing
Tarson’s sewing
The most delicate embroidery is crafted using Aintap white thread on transparent fabric, employing a thread-weight, linear platform.
Urfa embroidery is executed on Manisa cloth with gold and silk threads. The pattern is bordered with gold or silk thread, incorporating thread weight and flat stitches. The short ends of the needle are arranged obliquely in rows next to each other.
Kilikia stitch involves the tongues of one colored thread entering the field of the other colored thread, resulting in small and dense stitches. The art of lace-making flourished in Aintap and Urfa.
In Sebastia, needlework was widespread, employing shulal and slanting stitches. Swazi and Sebastian's notable stitch is the tars stitch, where the ornament made with colored thread patterns the cloth from below, achieving the desired pattern on the surface. Young women's aprons and socks were commonly embroidered.
Tarson stitch involves silk thread filling on sheer fabric.
The Zeytun seam, known as a blunt needle, involves the working thread filling the pattern on the cloth, and the threads sticking to each other from the side. The edges can be short and long, and the surface is convex.
The Marash stitch had several versions; one was made flat using a needle-needle technique, and the other was a woven stitch. The technique is confidential, with the working thread following a specific order of transitions known only to the embroiderer. Various threads, including woolen, cotton, silk, and gold winding threads, were used.[11]
The Cesarean stitch is very delicate. The embroidery is made with gold and silk threads on the transparent cloth, it is a thick seam.
Armenian Embroidery of Tiflis
Armenian art and culture were also very popular in Tiflis. It was a unique center for Armenian culture. Until the first half of the 20th century, an Armenian nunnery operated in Tiflis, where the girls were engaged in needlework with gold thread and silk thread. One of the samples of manuscript covers kept in the Matenadaran is a work from 1766, created in Tiflis. The Armenian embroiderers of Tiflis specialized in embroidering linen, household items, curtains, tablecloths, etc. After 1915, the Armenian immigrants who settled in Tiflis brought with them rich cultural traditions, especially lace-making, from different Armenian-populated regions.
The Typology of Armenian Embroidery
Armenian embroidery is divided into two major types: secular (with rural and urban subtypes) and ecclesiastical, within which the embroidery of clothes (national taraz and ecclesiastical outfits) and household items is distinguished. Both types of handicrafts are distinguished by the variety of used materials, threads, technical skills, the abundance of ornaments and various assortments. In the second half of the 19th century, several schools of Armenian embroidery were formed - in Van-Vaspurakan, Upper Armenia, Shirak-Javakhk, Lesser Armenia, Cilicia, Airarat and Syunik-Artsakh. Each of these schools has its own characteristics of handicrafts which are manifested in the materials used, threads, color shades, embellishments, areas of application and sewing techniques.
Ornaments
Armenian folk embroidery is also rich in its colouring system, which is expressed especially in ornaments. Perhaps the most important place in the art is occupied by vegetable ornaments, which have been known in Armenian applied art since ancient times. Floral motifs are very diverse, multifaceted and found in embroidery both in stylized, geometric forms and in a natural form. The most popular and common among plant motifs are flower motifs, which appear not only in huge numbers, but also in various forms. In various embroidery works, flowers appear both separately, as the main motif, and together with other images, complementing them and decorating the whole composition. Often, the flower patterns are repeated, incessantly continuing each other, or they form a bunch.
Floral ornaments are not limited to flowers. In general, the nature of Armenia and the occupations of the people are reflected in Armenian folk embroidery. Armenian fine art is also rich in images of fruits. All the fruits common in Armenia are represented in embroidery, but the most popular are the motifs of grapes, pomegranates, apples, and pears. The most important expression of plant motifs in Armenian applied art is the tree of life, which is represented in the most various ways, sometimes highly stylized and generalized. The tree of life is often the central decoration of the composition, around which other images are gathered. In general, the tree of life is never embroidered separately in household embroidery, it is surrounded by pairs of birds and animals, together with them it forms one complete image, expressing a certain meaning. Apart from the ones mentioned above, geometric and animal ornaments were also popular. The bird pattern is a fairly common motif in embroidery. Both clothes and household items were decorated with it. Among the animal ornaments of traditional Armenian embroidery, the snake-dragon motif has a unique place, which is presented in all its pictorial (real form and stylized) and semantic (good and evil) richness. In embroidery, the snake pattern is not one of the widespread motifs, it is not found as the main, central image, as in carpets and rugs, but as a complementary element that completes the ornament, it has many manifestations.
The human figure is the least common ornament. The figures of people sometimes found in traditional household embroidery designs, which are predominantly female, are highly stylized and geometric. Carpet embroideries are a remarkable part of Armenian needlework art. In the 17th and 18th centuries, exceptional and remarkable samples of embroidered carpets are preserved in many museums of the world, the decoration system of which almost completely repeats or shows great commonalities with dragon carpets and other carpets of the same period.
Cross-stitch is a form of sewing and a popular form of counted-thread embroidery in which X-shaped stitches in a tiled, raster-like pattern are used to form a picture. The stitcher counts the threads on a piece of evenweave fabric in each direction so that the stitches are of uniform size and appearance. This form of cross-stitch is also called counted cross-stitch in order to distinguish it from other forms of cross-stitch. Sometimes cross-stitch is done on designs printed on the fabric ; the stitcher simply stitches over the printed pattern. Cross-stitch is often executed on easily countable fabric called aida cloth, whose weave creates a plainly visible grid of squares with holes for the needle at each corner.
Embroidery is the art of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to stitch thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on hats, clothing, blankets, and handbags. Embroidery is available in a wide variety of thread or yarn colour. It is often used to personalize gifts or clothing items.
A needlework sampler is a piece of embroidery or cross-stitching produced as a 'specimen of achievement', demonstration or a test of skill in needlework. It often includes the alphabet, figures, motifs, decorative borders and sometimes the name of the person who embroidered it and the date. The word sampler is derived from the Latin exemplum, which means 'example'.
Hardanger embroidery or "Hardangersøm" is a form of embroidery traditionally worked with white thread on white even-weave linen or cloth, using counted thread and drawn thread work techniques. It is sometimes called whitework embroidery.
Drawn thread work is one of the earliest forms of open work embroidery, and has been worked throughout Europe. Originally it was often used for ecclesiastical items and to ornament shrouds. It is a form of counted-thread embroidery based on removing threads from the warp and/or the weft of a piece of even-weave fabric. The remaining threads are grouped or bundled together into a variety of patterns. The more elaborate styles of drawn thread work use a variety of other stitches and techniques, but the drawn thread parts are their most distinctive element. It is also grouped with whitework embroidery because it was traditionally done in white thread on white fabric and is often combined with other whitework techniques.
Appliqué is ornamental needlework in which pieces or patches of fabric in different shapes and patterns are sewn or stuck onto a larger piece to form a picture or pattern. It is commonly used as decoration, especially on garments. The technique is accomplished either by hand stitching or machine. Appliqué is commonly practised with textiles, but the term may be applied to similar techniques used on different materials. In the context of ceramics, for example, an appliqué is a separate piece of clay added to the primary work, generally for the purpose of decoration.
Crewel embroidery, or crewelwork, is a type of surface embroidery using wool. A wide variety of different embroidery stitches are used to follow a design outline applied to the fabric. The technique is at least a thousand years old.
Chain stitch is a sewing and embroidery technique in which a series of looped stitches form a chain-like pattern. Chain stitch is an ancient craft – examples of surviving Chinese chain stitch embroidery worked in silk thread have been dated to the Warring States period. Handmade chain stitch embroidery does not require that the needle pass through more than one layer of fabric. For this reason the stitch is an effective surface embellishment near seams on finished fabric. Because chain stitches can form flowing, curved lines, they are used in many surface embroidery styles that mimic "drawing" in thread.
Darning is a sewing technique for repairing holes or worn areas in fabric or knitting using needle and thread alone. It is often done by hand, but using a sewing machine is also possible. Hand darning employs the darning stitch, a simple running stitch in which the thread is "woven" in rows along the grain of the fabric, with the stitcher reversing direction at the end of each row, and then filling in the framework thus created, as if weaving. Darning is a traditional method for repairing fabric damage or holes that do not run along a seam, and where patching is impractical or would create discomfort for the wearer, such as on the heel of a sock.
Korean embroidery techniques and artifacts have a long history, but there is the most evidence from the Joseon Dynasty, after the 14th century in Korea. This article talks about the history, styles, preservation, artists, and examples of screens, costumes, and domestic wares of this exacting and beautiful art form.
Embroidery in India includes dozens of embroidery styles that vary by region and clothing styles. Designs in Indian embroidery are formed on the basis of the texture and the design of the fabric and the stitch. The dot and the alternate dot, the circle, the square, the triangle, and permutations and combinations of these constitute the design.
The manufacture of textiles is one of the oldest of human technologies. To make textiles, the first requirement is a source of fiber from which a yarn can be made, primarily by spinning. The yarn is processed by knitting or weaving, which turns it into cloth. The machine used for weaving is the loom. For decoration, the process of colouring yarn or the finished material is dyeing. For more information of the various steps, see textile manufacturing.
Cutwork or cut work, also known as punto tagliato in Italian, is a needlework technique in which portions of a textile, typically cotton or linen, are cut away and the resulting "hole" is reinforced and filled with embroidery or needle lace.
Ukrainian embroidery occupies an important place among the various branches of Ukrainian decorative arts. Embroidery has a rich history in Ukraine, and has long appeared in Ukrainian folk dress as well as played a part in traditional Ukrainian weddings and other celebrations. Appearing all across the country, Ukrainian embroidery varies depending on the region of origin. From Poltava, Kyiv, and Chernihiv in the east, to Volyn and Polissia in the northwest, to Bukovina, and the Hutsul area in the southwest, the designs have a long history which defines its ornamental motifs and compositions, as well as its favorite choice of colors and types of stitches.
Iranian handicrafts are handicraft or handmade crafted works originating from Iran.
English embroidery includes embroidery worked in England or by English people abroad from Anglo-Saxon times to the present day. The oldest surviving English embroideries include items from the early 10th century preserved in Durham Cathedral and the 11th century Bayeux Tapestry, if it was worked in England. The professional workshops of Medieval England created rich embroidery in metal thread and silk for ecclesiastical and secular uses. This style was called Opus Anglicanum or "English work", and was famous throughout Europe.
The term Hedebo embroidery covers several forms of white embroidery which originated in the Hedebo (heathland) region of Zealand, Denmark, in the 1760s. The varied techniques which evolved over the next hundred years in the farming community were subsequently developed by the middle classes until around 1820. They were applied to articles of clothing such as collars and cuffs but were also used to decorate bed linen.
Bed hangings or bed curtains are fabric panels that surround a bed; they were used from medieval times through to the 19th century. Bed hangings provided privacy when the master or great bed was in a public room, such as the parlor. They also kept warmth in, and were a way of showing one's wealth. When bedrooms became more common in the mid-1700s, the use of bed hangings diminished.
Colcha embroidery from the southwest United States is a form of surface embroidery that uses wool threads on cotton or linen fabric. During the Spanish Colonial period, the word colcha referred to a densely embroidered wool coverlet. In time, the word also came to refer to the embroidery stitch that was used for these coverlets, and then began to be used on other surfaces. The colcha stitch is self-couched, with threads applied at a 45-degree angle to tie down the stitch. Originally, the wool threads were dyed naturally, using plants or insects, such as cochineal. Both materials used and design motifs have varied over time.
Armenian lace is the lacemaking tradition of the Armenian people. Due to the material's accessibility, the simple tools required, and the wide means of artistic expression, it has remained popular among the Armenian people.
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