Piece

Art Historical Context

This exquisite silk fragment, titled *Piece*, hails from 17th-century Japan during the Edo period—a time of relative peace and prosperity under the Tokugawa shunate, when textile arts. Measuring just 1 5/8 × 4 1/8 inches, this diminutive woven textile exemplifies the mastery of Japanese weavers, who produced luxurious fabrics for kimonos, obi sashes, and ceremonial garments that signified social status and refined taste. Crafted in a compound weave technique, the piece showcases an advanced method where multiple layers of pattern and color are interlaced in a single loom process, creating intricate designs without supplementary stitching. Silk, prized for its luster and durability, was a hallmark of Japan's renowned weaving centers like Nishijin in Kyoto, blending functionality with artistry. A generous gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1920 from Kihei Hattori, this small treasure offers a glimpse into Japan's textile heritage, where such fragments preserve the elegance of everyday luxury and the skill of anonymous artisans whose work adorned the elite.