crete, part 2

while on crete, we also spent a few days in the city of hania with its picturesque venetian-style port and old town. much like the islands we had visited already, hania was a maze of narrow streets, shops, and restaurants. just outside our hotel located in this maze was a beautiful shop called carmela which is owned by a woman of the same name, carmela iatropoulou.

carmela does a beautiful job selecting and displaying handmade jewelry and raku ceramics. the displays themselves were worth a visit! one of the first things i spotted was this curious gourd ring unlike anything i had seen before. it had to leave with me.


tomorrow...athens.

thanks for reading.

crete

the last greek island we visited was crete. our first stop was the capital of iraklio or heraklion where the ancient site of knossos and the archeological museum of heraklion are located. although the museum is currently under major renovation, there was a temporary exhibition that included, as we were told, the most important pieces from the entire collection. the museum was a real treat. it has an incredible collection of ancient jewelry. i was amazed at the number and variety of materials and techniques used so i made two lists:

materials:

faience
glass paste
gold
sard
lapis
rock crystal
carnelian
amethyst

techiniques:

repousse
granulation
filigree
bead stringing
cloisonnes
inlay

my favorite piece was this gold bee pendant from 1800-1700 bc, exquisitely crafted and preserved.

unlike museums in the u.s., we were able to take pictures so i spent a little time after looking at everything to document what i saw.

if you are interested in learning more about any of these materials or techniques or the things you see pictured, please send me at email.

tomorrow...crete part 2.

thanks for reading.