#chios

Chios, North Aegean, Greece.

Traditional costume of Chios, Greece

According to Josephus, Yevanic-speaking Jews lived in Chios in ancient times, mostly as Roman slaves. After 1492, Sephardic exiles from Iberia ultimately became the Jewish majority group in Chios, mixing with the already prospered Romaniote, Italqi and Ashkenazi communities. Common occupations for Jews of the time were the making of silk garments, weaving, wine production, and olive and fig farming. They were also involved with the production of the islands' most valuable commodity, mastic. For many centuries, the Jewish life was thriving under the Ottoman Empire alongside, and in harmony with their Greek Christian and Turkish Muslim communities. Everything changed with the start of a chain of wars taking place in the region: the Greek War of Independence, the Ottoman Massacre of Chios, the First Balkan War, the Greco-Turkish War, and finally the Second World War, which effectively ended the long and rich Jewish history of the island.

Untitled, taken by John Perivolaris c. 2022 on the island of Chios.

Near Gria Castle, Between Pitios and Kardamyla, Northern Chios, Greece, 2025. 

Pyrgi, Chios, GREECE

Chios sheep sketch | Limited edition fine art print from an original drawing. My sketches start life as hand-drawn graphite images made on cartridge paper. I often work on these with charcoal, oil pastel or Caran d'Ache to create the look I'm after. The artwork is then scanned and finessed digitally ready for fine art printing. This process often referred to as Giclée printing uses the highest standard of printing methods to give gallery quality results that maintain all the details of the original sketch. The graphite pencils I use are Faber-Castel, the oil pastels are Sennelier and the china-graph is Caran d’Ache. The inks are pigment based archive quality (100years+). The heavyweight specialist papers I use are of the best professional quality having a wonderful surface designed specifically for fine art drawings and illustrations. Very limited editions with only ten per size printed. All artwork is signed and includes a certificate of authenticity. The A5 are 5.8" x 8.25" (14.8cm x 21cm) The A4 are 8.25" x 11.7" (21cm x 29.8cm) The A3 are 11.7" x 16.5" (29.8 cm x 42cm) The A2 are 16.5" x 23.4" (42 cm x 59.4cm) Originals are A3 11.7" x 16.5" (29.8 cm x 42cm) Frames not included in price. Free shipping on artwork to all destinations. https://www.seanbriggs.co.uk/product/chios-sheep/?feed_id=8513&_unique_id=691195345ba2f