Piece
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Silk, metallic thread
Dimensions
12 1/2 x 6 1/4 in. (31.75 x 15.88 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Woven
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1896
Accession Number
96.14.926
Art Historical Context
This exquisite woven textile fragment, titled simply *Piece*, hails from 18th-century Japan during the Edo period (161–1868), a time of relative peace and cultural flourishing under the Tokugawa shogunate. Measuring just 12½ x 6¼ inches, it exemplifies the refined artistry of Japanese textile production, likely intended as part of a garment, screen, or decorative panel. Crafted from luxurious silk interwoven with shimmering metallic threads, it reflects the era's mastery of weaving techniques that blended functionality with opulent beauty. In Edo-period Japan, textiles were more than mere fab...