IDENTIFY AN ARMENIAN CITY BY ITS EMBROIDERY
Traditional Armenian embroidery is heritage embroidery worked on handspun, hand-woven fabrics with colored silk, gold or silver threads in patterns passed from generation to generation.

The unique method creates designs that look alike on both sides of the fabric when finished. The sides are so exact that only an expert can tell one side from the other. The most popular patterns were flowers grown in Armenia such as tulips, roses, carnations, lilies, and hyacinths. Fruits were also used especially the pomegranate, apricot, cherry, peach, grape, pear and apple. The rooster, dove, tree of life and grape leaves were also popular, as they were symbolic of Armenia and its Christian Faith.

Specialized handicrafts were often named after the city or district where the particular work was developed. Therefore one could tell the by looking at a handicraft which Armenian women created it. The city of Van was known for Vaspouragani gar, which was a unique gold and silver stitch. Bagheshi gar was the specialty of Bitilis. Erzinjani gar was the stitch of Erzinjian. Kharpert gar was named for the ancient city of Kharpert. The Kharpertsies were known for their gold embroidery on velvet. The women of Angora created the Ancyra embroidery where they created raised embroidery with silk, mohair, wool and gold thread.


Aintab work showing the 
eight pointed 
traditional design

 Aintab or Anteb embroidery is also know as Chanchili gar. Specialized needlework and handicrafts usually were named after the city or district where that particular work was developed or originated. Thus, Vaspouragani gar was the name given to the stitch used in gold and silk embroidery developed in the City of Van. Baghesi gar was the speciality of the Armenians of Bitlis. Erzinjani gar was for the stitch of Erzinjan. Kharperti gar, named after the ancient city of Kharpert, was the famous Armenian gold embroidery on velvet, known as hazar djoug. Ancrya embroidery was the speciality of the Armenian women of Angora where they created raised embroidery with silk, mohair, wool and gold thread.

The women of Aintab specialised in what missionaries called " Armenian white work". In spite of its name, it was often done on silk or pongee of various colors.

The Aintabsies specialized in "Armenian white work". At an Armenian home you will usually find this work on long rectangular pieces of white linen with an infusion of small open spaces that created the design. I’m certain that your grandmother had such pieces on her dresser, table, bed linens curtains, handkerchief (which she never used) aprons and baptismal outfits. The most common design was the eight pointed stars, crosses and medallions. The pre-Christian Armenian kings wore crowns on which such eight pointed stars appear. Stars and crosses symbolizing the sun god Arek were also found in many Armenian stone carvings, khatchkars, ceramics, carpets and jewelry. The eight points designate the points of the compass.


Aintab embroidery was called "Armenian white work".


Marash work, also known as interlaced embroidery

Another more intricate type of embroidery is created by the women of the city of Marash, which was situated in the territory known as the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia. Today Marash is part of southern Turkey. Marash embroideries are made with three different stitches. The designs are first printed on the fabric (wool, linen, heavy cotton, velvet or silk satin) with carved wooden stamps or by hand painting.

 

The city of Edessa is noted for its applique embroidery. Here the women specialized in a technique, which was closely related to crocheting called Helouni-Kords. You can recognize this work because it involved colored silk and golden thread with the chain stitch on the surface of the fabric which was often black velvet allowing the color of the silk to standout.


Thanks to Bob Takvorian, MA for the contribution of this article.
Reference: ARMENIAN NEEDLELACE & EMBROIDERY by Alice Odian Kasparian

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