Fragment of Cover
Unknown Artist
1891
Medium
Velvet; embroidered in gold and silver wrapped thread
Dimensions
H. 41 in. (104.1 cm) W. 45 in. (114.3 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Embroidered
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1960
Accession Number
60.115b
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Fragment of Cover* from1891, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Islamic Art, showcases the opulence of late 19th-century Islamic textile craftsmanship. Crafted from rich velvet and meticulously embroidered with gold and silver threads, the piece measures an impressive 41 by 45 inches. Though only a fragment survives, its substantial size hints at its original role as a ceremonial covering—perhaps for a sacred text, tomb, or architectural element—reflecting the grandeur typical of elite Islamic decorative arts. The embroidery technique is particularly note...