Object ID
2012.45.5
Object Name
Photograph
Date Created
1948
Object Entities
Karountzos, Steve (is related to)
Hadzimichali, (is related to)
Sperling, Angeliki (is related to)
Sperling, Nicolas (is related to)
Object Description
Framed portrait of a female dressed in elaborate costume, consisting of a white head scarf, which wraps underneath the figure's chin. There is black, gold, red, and purple embroidery around the border of this scarf. A highly embroidered headband holds on the scarf, while a white flower is attached just above the headband. The top layer is an apron with horizontal stripes of green, orange, and purple with patterned accents. It also has a diamond pattern on the bottom panel. The apron has red, white, yellow, green, and blue tassles attached at the bottom. At the waist, she wears a belt with a large metal buckle. Below the apron is a rich green dress with elaborate embroidery at the cuffs, and hems over the chest and at the knees. At the figure's right side rests a purse with a very colorful stylized palmette design. Under the green dress is a white dress with heavy embroidery. It has red flowers on a black background at the cuffs and green, red, and blue flowers on a wide black background at the bottom hem. She wears ribbed black stockings and a simple black shoe with laces. This seems to be an exterior scene. The ground is buff with a gray oval. Behind the figure is a wall of large gray blocks. There is foliage in the top right and top left corners. The bottom right hand corner of the print says "Makedonia" in English and Greek. The matting for the portrait is a light pink hue, with a gold frame.
Origin
This print comes from the Book "Hellenic National Costumes" by Hadzimichali, Angeliki and Nicolas Sperling. The prints were done by miniature artist Sperling. The book had multiple pressings (1948, 1954). Ultimately there were two volumes and a supplement with 111 plates total. The original unframed, unmatted prints were 8 1/2" X 11 5/8".

Steve Karountzos has lived in the United States since 1966 and attained U.S. citizenship in 1971. Before that, he served as a sergeant in the Greek Royal Air Force from 1954 to 1958. Now residing in Hammond, Indiana, he is now a part of the Northwest Indiana contingent of Greek and Greek-American military verterans.
Rights and Reproduction
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Citation
Photograph, 1948, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/11487. Accessed 04/19/24.