Sharon Gerstel (UCLA), “Weavers, Weaving, and Greek Society”

2025 Argyropoulos Lecture

“In Greece, the practice and art of weaving has played a critical role in discussions of female labor, activities, and even character from ancient times up through the modern day. This talk focuses on three moments in Greek history — late Byzantium, the 19^th century, and the 1930s — to consider the place of weavers and weaving within a broader cultural context. How were weavers viewed within the highly stratified society of the village? What do woven works say about the beliefs of the weaver and the place of weaving in society? How did women’s work figure in a modernist movement determined to promote Greece’s own history and culture?”