Piece
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Silk
Classification
Textiles-Woven
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of The United Piece Dye Works, 1936
Accession Number
36.90.2116
Art Historical Context
This exquisite woven silk *Piece* from 19th-century France exemplifies the mastery of textile arts in Europe's decorative tradition. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of European Sculpture and Decor Arts, this anonymous creation highlights the era's innovation in silk weaving, where intricate patterns were achieved through advanced looms like the Jacquard mechanism, allowing complex designs without manual drawing. In 19th-century France, silk production—centered in regions like Lyon—fueled luxury goods for fashion, furnishings, and interiors, reflecting the opulence of the...