Piece

Art Historical Context

This exquisite silk textile fragment, titled simply *Piece* and dating to around 1735–50, hails from Italy and exemplifies the opulent world of 18th-century European decorative. Woven with intricate floral and leafy motifs—evident in its delicate patterns of blooming flowers and lush foliage—it measures a modest 18 × 9¼ inches, likely a remnant of a larger luxury fabric used for garments, furnishings, or ecclesiastical vestments. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1920, it now graces the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts. Crafted during Italy's...