Piece

Unknown Artist

18th century

Piece by Unknown Artist

Medium

Silk and metal thread

Dimensions

L. 21 3/4 x W. 6 inches 55.2 x 15.2 cm

Classification

Textiles-Woven

Culture

French

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Gift of The United Piece Dye Works, 1936

Accession Number

36.90.206

Tags

FlowersLeaves

Art Historical Context

This exquisite 18th-century French textile, simply titled *Piece*, showcases the opulence of Europe's Rococo era through its luxurious silk and metal-thread weaving. Measuring a slender 21¾ x 6 inches (55.2 x 15.2 cm), it features intricate motifs of flowers and leaves, rendered with shimmering metallic accents that catch the light, evoking the lavish decorative tastes of the French court under Louis XV. Woven with masterful precision—a hallmark of Lyon's renowned silk industry—this piece highlights advanced Jacquard-like techniques predating the 19th-century loom invention. The interplay of ...

    Send Feedback

    We use this only to reply to your feedback.