Piece

Art Historical Context

This exquisite silk brocade fragment from 19th-century Japan exemplifies masterful textile artistry of the Edo period's final decades or early Meiji era. Measuring 24 x 7¾ inches, its narrow, elongated form suggests it may have been part of a luxurious garment like a kimono sash (obi) or decorative panel, where such pieces showcased wealth and refinement among samurai and merchants. Brocading, the sophisticated weaving technique used here, involves supplementary weft threads floated across the silk ground to create raised, shimmering patterns—often motifs of nature, cranes, or florals symboli...