Handmade from Armenia: Embroidered crosses (Marash stitch)

Marash was one of the prosperous and rich cities of the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia. However, after the 1915 genocide of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey almost nothing reminds of the former presence of Armenians in this territory which is now in southern Turkey. Those few Armenians who succeeded to flee settled in Syria, mainly in Aleppo, where they continued their cultural traditions. A brilliant example reminiscent of the glorious days of Marash is the Marash embroidery: it is considered to be the most intricate Armenian embroidery style demanding subtle and precise work.
Typically, Marash embroidery is performed on dark velvet. The basic forming element of the embroidery is an interlaced cross or complex intersection of interlaced crosses. The traditional Marash design is characterized by geometric forms: a group of interlaced crosses, clusters of crosses, circles, and squares. The Marash embroidery looks slightly elevated and reminds of traditional Armenian wood carving or cross-stones (khachqar).
The author of the presented works, Marine Poghosyan, was born in Yerevan in 1952. She learnt Marash embroidery from the book “Marash embroidery” after S. Davtyan. With the course of the time she perfected her art, moving beyond traditional lines and designs. Due to the innovative approach to the embroidery, she developed a method for embroidering very complex and interlaced figures.

Embroidered crosses, Marash stitch. Thread used for the embroidery: Cotton pearl 8