Textile Fragment
Unknown Artist
4th–5th century
Medium
Wool, linen; plain weave, tapestry weave
Dimensions
Max. H. 15 3/4 in. (40 cm) Max. W. 4 1/8 in. (10.4 cm)
Classification
Textiles
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of George F. Baker, 1890
Accession Number
90.5.380
Art Historical Context
This delicate textile fragment, dating to the 4th–5th century, offers a glimpse into the sophisticated weaving traditions of Late Antiquity. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Department of Islamic Art, it just 15¾ by 4⅛ inches (40 by 10.4 cm) and was generously gifted by George F. Baker in 1890. Likely originating from regions like Egypt or the Near East—hotbeds of early textile production—such fragments survive as remnants of garments, furnishings, or ritual objects, preserved by the arid climates of ancient burial sites. Crafted from wool and linen using plain weave for the ground and...