A Greek Embroidered Band

In 1953, Cooper-Hewitt received from Richard C. Greenleaf (1887–1961) a gift of twelve pieces of embroidery and lace. One piece was an unusual band made in the Greek Islands in the eighteenth century. Embroidered using long-armed cross stitch in red silk on cream-colored linen, a portion of the design was copied from a much older pattern by the Italian designer Giovanni Andrea Vavassore (1510–1572). His book of embroidery designs, Esemplario di lavori or "Models of works" was published in 1532.