Piece
Unknown Artist
late 18th century
Medium
Silk and metal thread
Dimensions
L. 96 1/2 x W. 21 inches (245.1 x 53.3 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Woven
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. George D. Pratt, 1929
Accession Number
29.91.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant woven textile panel, simply titled *Piece*, hails from late 18th-century France, a golden era for luxurious silk production centered in Lyon. Measuring an impressive 96½ by 21 inches, it showcases the mastery of French weavers who blended silk with shimmering metal threads to create rich, luminous fabrics. These materials not only provided durability and opulence but also caught the light in intricate patterns, making such pieces ideal for high-end garments, furnishings, or ecclesiastical vestments. Adorned with motifs of flowers and leaves—hallmarks of the period's decorative ar...