Panel for a skirt or petticoat
Unknown Artist
1690–1710
Medium
Silk embroidered on linen
Dimensions
35 1/2 x 52 in. (90.2 x 132.1 cm); Overall with mounting: 35 11/16 in. × 52 7/16 in. × 3 in. (90.6 × 133.2 × 7.6 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Embroidered
Culture
British
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Friends of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Gifts, 2011
Accession Number
2011.412
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite embroidered panel, likely designed for a skirt or petat, dates to 1690–1710 and hails from Britain during the late Baroque era. Crafted from silk threads on a linen ground, it exemplifies the opulence of period fashion, where such lavish textiles adorned the lower layers of women's gowns, visible through translucent outer fabrics. Measuring over 35 by 52 inches, it have formed a dramatic sweep in courtly or elite wardrobes, signaling wealth and refined taste. The artwork shines in the chinoiserie style—a European fascination with imagined Chinese motifs that swept Britain in th...