Lot Essay
This is a typical example of Naxiot embroidery - the red dyes being produced from a specific type of lichen gathered on the island. Having been the capital of the Cycladic islands from 1210 and centre of the Catholic religion in the area until the Renaissance period, when the Ottoman Empire occupied in 1579, textiles produced on Naxos reflect both Italianate and Mamluk inspirations in their design. The repeated motifs here are more Italianate than the stellar motifs typical of the island's production.