Textile with Brocade

Art Historical Context

This exquisite 14th-century Italiancade textile, woven from luxurious silk and shimmering gold thread offers a glimpse into the opulence of medieval Europe. Measuring just 6 5/16 × 4 18 inches, this small fragment—now housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Medieval Art Department—was acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1909. As a product of Italy's renowned textile workshops, exemplifies the era's mastery of woven luxury goods, likely intended for ecclesiastical vestments, noble garments, or decorative panels. Brocade, the textile's classification, is a sophisticated weaving technique where ...