Fragment
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Silk
Dimensions
a: 3 1/2 x 5 3/8 in. (8.9 x 13.7 cm) b: 21 1/2 x 4 in. (54.6 x 10.2 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Velvets
Culture
Italian
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Nanette B. Kelekian, in honor of Olga Raggio, 2002
Accession Number
2002.494.50a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite silk velvet fragment from 18th-century Italy offers a tantalizing glimpse into the op world of European decorative arts. Comprising two pieces—one compact at 3 x 5⅜ inches and the other elongated at 21½ x 4 inches—the textile features delicate motifs of flowers and leaves, with the lustrous pile characteristic of fine velvet weaving. Produced in a era when Italian silk production thrived in cities like Genoa and Venice, this fragment likely originated from a larger garment upholstery, or ecclesiastical vestment, where such sumptuous materials symbolized wealth and status. Velve...