Framed embroidery

Though at first glance this embroidery may seem to depict an idyllic scene, it is actually a memento of exile. After the Greek state’s victory against communist forces in the Civil War, presumed leftists were persecuted throughout Greece and in many cases exiled to small islands where they were supposed to be re-educated in the values and ideals of the nation. Between 1948 and 1953, over 5,000 women, mostly peasants related to communist fighters, were sent to the island of Trikeri. Those believed to have actually fought in the Civil War lived in tents separated from the other exiles by barbed wire, as depicted in the embroidery. During their time on the island, the women formed choir groups, staged theater plays, and made handicrafts like this embroidery.