Piece

Art Historical Context

This exquisite silk textile fragment, titled simply *Piece*, hails from Japan during the 18th–19th, a time when the country’s Edo period transitioned into the early Meiji era. Measuring just 10¾ x 4¾ inches (27.31 x 12.07 cm), it the refined craftsmanship of Japanese woven textiles, classified as a woven silk in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Asian Art Department. Donated in 1896 by Mr. and Mrs. H. O. Havemeyerprominent collectors who enriched the Met’s holdings—this modest yet masterful object invites us to appreciate the artistry hidden in everyday luxury materials. Silk weaving was a pin...