‘Threads of Hope’ Exhibition to Feature Rare Collection of Armenian Embroidery
The Ararat-Eskijian-Museum and Research Center, the California State University, Northridge Armenian Studies program, and the Armenian Rug Society will present “Threads of Hope: Collections of Heirlooms Rescued from Suffering to reflect on the Miraculous Revival of Armenian Life.” The exhibition will open on Sunday, June 1 at the Deukmejian Community Center at 2 p.m., followed by a lecture by Hratch Kozybeyokian at 4 p.m. at the Ararat-Eskijian Museum’s Sheen Chapel, located at 15105 Mission Hills Rd., Mission Hills, CA.
For over thirty years, the AEMRC has been collecting embroideries from families and their loved ones to be preserved for future generations. Alone, the embroidery collection at the museum has exceeded over one thousand pieces, out of which two hundred fifty pieces will be displayed. The oldest collection is from Eregly, Konya dated 1870. Most of the embroideries have been preserved by families as these heirlooms survived during the genocide as a testament of Armenian women’s creative world.
The 19th century-Armenian home featured an abundance of laces, embroidered textiles, especially during weddings and feasts, when they displayed their finest works. These intricate needle works are the outcome of a society where there was no rights or prestige for the young maidens. Therefore, their embroideries became their “voice”; stitches instead of words, became their inner world.
The aim of this unique exhibition is to share with the community the resilience of Armenian women, their survival after horrific ordeals, and their zeal to re-establish their lives.
The lecture and the exhibition are free and open to the public. The exhibition will be open on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 12 to 5 p.m., on June 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, and 15.
For additional information, please contact the Ararat-Eskijian Museum and Research Center by phone at (747) 500-7585 or via email at eskijian@ararat-eskijian-
