Secret - Small Hamam

"This palace in Seville Spain is from around the 12th century and reached the way it looks today in the 14th century. Built by the Moors in Spain (like many other places, among them the famous Alhambra) it has "the" style with the arches and the non-human pictures, only ornaments, plants, birds and scriptures. 

Glazed tiles shape lots of caleidoscopic patterns and shimmer in the blazing sunlight. Shady arcades invite for a walk - light-filled courtyards house tropical plants with large leafs and here and there you will see huge pots and urns with topiary trees and fruit. Peacock stroll around in the gardens, which are partially formal with cut hedges and shape-cut trees and bushes, partially sort of  "wild" and filled with enchantingly perfumed flowers. Everywhere water is a  main theme, be it in basins over turquoise tiles or in fountains, throwing hundreds of sparkling beads of water into the hot air.

...The outer border is inspired by the formal gardens of this area of the Alcazar - I captured the patterns of the cut hedges for this part of the embroidery. In the corners you will see 4 different "tiled" gardens....It was and still is a huge challenge for me to try to capture the "essence" of these gardens and buildings into ONE (!!) embroidery piece - so many themes, so many pictures, so little space ....I could easily fill an embroidery 1000 x 1000 stitches, you know"

- Martina Rosenberg, May 26th, 2013