Embroidered coverlet (Colcha)
Medium
Cotton embroidered with silk
Dimensions
100 x 73 in. (254 x 185.4 cm)
Classification
Coverlet
Culture
Mexican
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Everfast Fabrics Inc. Gift, 1971
Accession Number
1971.20
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of 18th-century Mexican domestic artistry with *Embroidered CoverletColcha)*, crafted in 1786 by Doña Rosa Solís y Menez. This magnificent piece, measuring an impressive 100 x inches, is made of cotton embroidered with vibrant silk threads, transforming a simple bedcover into a canvas of storytelling. Doña Rosa, addressed with the honorific "Doña" indicating her status in colonial society, showcases the exceptional needlework skills of women in New Spain (modern-day Mexico), where such colchas served as both functional bedding and prized family heirlooms. The embroidery b...