Quilt No.727CS - Catherine Llewelyn-Smith

Catherine Llewelyn-Smith
Owner: 
Catherine Llewelyn-Smith
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Unknown
Made in
TURKEY Izmir (formerly Smyrna)
Date: 
1901 - 1920
Description: 
Quilt remnant. This piece of the top is hand embroidered in gold thread on a background of burgundy silk in a traditional style still practised by Greek women today. The backing is white and probably cotton or linen.
940 x 430mm
History: 

The maker is unknown but the remnant comes from a quilt made in Smyrna (now called Izmir) Turkey c.1900. The quilt was owned by Aikaterini (Antonopoulou) Pholeros of Smyrna. It then passed to her daughter Evelyn McLeod and is now owned by Evelyn's daughter Catherine Llewelyn-Smith.

Story: 

"A Remnant From Smyrna
This quilt remnant comes from the once-great city of Smyrna, now called Izmir, in Turkey, where Greeks had lived for hundreds of years, probably even back to 1000 BC and through the time of Alexander the Great. At the beginning of the C20th, Smyrna was a big, prosperous, Greek city.
The quilt belonged to Aikaterini Antonopoulo whose father was the head of Lloyd Triestino Shipping company in Smyrna. She married Frank Pholero born (1891) in Parkes NSW, son of Angleo Pholero of Smyrna who came to Australia in about 1870 and became Australia's first Greek Vice Consul.
Frank Pholero had become a senior official of the Anglo-Eastern Railway Company in Smyrna. His position there ended abruptly during the 'great catastrophe' of 1922 when, as a result of the terrible hostilities between Greece and Turkey, the city was torched and burned, thousands were killed, and over one million refugees poured into Greece.
Aikaterini and family fled, leaving behind their house and all possessions. Eventualy they arrived in Australia as penniless refugees, having spent almost two years on the island of Malta. At some time after fleeing Smyrna, Aikaterini received a parcel from Turkey. It seems that a maid she employed had managed to rescue a few items from their house in Smyrna and send them on; among them this piece (perhaps the centre-piece of the original bedspread) and the family photo.
Although not much else is known about the quilt, it can probably be assumed that, in true Greek tradition, the bedspread had been made especially for Aikaterini's prika (dowry), or that it may have been handed down to her through the family. The silk fabric and rich, gold embroidery certainly reflect the well-off position which the family would have enjoyed in Smyrna's 'pre catastrophe' days.
This remnant has been passed down through Aikaterini's daughter Evelyn McLeod, to her daughter Catherine, who with husband David Llewelyn-Smith have two daughters, Victoria and Rebecca.
[Written by Lula Saunders, adapted from interview 14/3/00 for the National Quilt Register]

Aikaterini and Frank Pholero with Evelyn, Mildred and Cecil. Smyrna c.1920
Aikaterini and Frank Pholero with Evelyn, Mildred and Cecil. Smyrna c.1920

Related Quilts:

Yvonne Hamdorf
Wholecloth pram quilt with a top of pink cotton sateen, and the reverse is a more finely woven, ivory, fabric. All over quilting design as main feature, with stylised hearts, leaves and cross hatching. The padding is cotton batting. 870 x 660 mm.
John Tomkin
Hand stitched, cotton, appliquéd, quilt in a flower pattern on a plain background. Colours are shades of green, apricot and browns. This quilt was known as a 'Bride's Quilt'. Padding is thought to be layers of white fabric raised almost like a wadding. The backing is cotton material. 2470 x 2020 mm.
Heather Leonard
This 'Quilt' is made from an army great coat from the second world war. The seams have been unpicked and pieced together by machine zig-zagging the flat edges (with Singer treadle sewing machine). The pocket slits are turned back and seamed rather than being pared off. The outside edges are turned over and blanket stitched in red. It does not have a backing.
1620 x 1180mm
Yvonne Renfree
One side of this wholcloth quilt is a single piece of cretonne or similar with a pattern of autumn leaves. The other side is patched pieces of curtaining. The padding is old clothing, mainly knits, tacked to random pieces of curtain material. The quilt is tacked together to hold all the padding in and machine stitched to the backing.
1850 x 1100mm
Joyce Wynn
Whole cloth traditional Durham quilt in sateen, pink one side and ivory the other. Elaborately hand quilted. It is padded but the type of padding is unknown. 2030 x 2030mm.
Irene Copping
Durham quilt. Hand quilted with Durham Feather Pink on one side and cream on the other. Cotton material with a slightly sheen cotton used for the quilting. Cotton wool padding.
2440 x 2150mm