Piece
Unknown Artist
ca. 1500
Medium
Silk and metal thread
Dimensions
L. 30 3/4 x W. 7 inches (78.1 x 17.8 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Woven
Culture
Italian, Florence
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1946
Accession Number
46.156.100
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite textile fragment, simply titled *Piece*, hails from Florence, Italy, around 1500, during the dazzling height of the Renaissance. Woven from luxurious silk and shimmering metal threads, it measures 30¾ x 7 inches and showcases the city's renowned mastery of opulent fabrics. Produced by an unknown artist within Florence's thriving weaving guilds, such pieces were prized for their intricate designs featuring human figures, likely processions or narrative scenes that brought stories to life in sumptuous color and texture. Renaissance Florence—a hub of artistic innovation under pat...