Fragment of a Sleeve
Unknown Artist
3rd–4th century
Medium
Wool, linen; plain weave, tapestry weave
Dimensions
Max. H. 10 1/4 in. (26 cm) Max. W. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm)
Classification
Textiles
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of George F. Baker, 1890
Accession Number
90.5.401
Art Historical Context
This delicate **Fragment of a Sleeve**, to the 3rd–4th century, offers a tantalizing glimpse into ancient textile artistry from the early centuries of the Common Era. Crafted from wool and linen using plain weave and tapestry techniques, this small piece—measuring just 10¼ inches high and 6½ inches wide—likely once adorned a garment in region associated with the precursors to Islamic cultural traditions. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Islamic Art, it was generously gifted by George F. Baker in1890, preserving a fragment of everyday luxury from antiquity. The use of t...