Piece
Unknown Artist
16th–17th century
Medium
Silk
Dimensions
L. 13 x W. 10 inches (33.0 x 25.4 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Velvets
Culture
Italian
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
36.90.266
Art Historical Context
This exquisite silk velvet fragment, originating from Italy during the 16th17th centuries, exemplifies Renaissance mastery of luxury textiles. Measuring a modest 13 x 10 inches, it hails from a golden age when Italian city-states like Genoa and Venice dominated Europe's fabric trade, producing opulent velvets prized by nobility and clergy alike. Donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1936 by The Piece Dye Works, thisPiece" survives as a testament to the era's opulence, where such fabrics adorned grand garments, ecclesiastical vestments, and lavish furnishings. Velvet's allure lies in its i...