Piece
Unknown Artist
16th–17th century
Medium
Silk and metal thread
Dimensions
L. 7 1/2 x W. 3 1/4 inches (19.1 x 8.3 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
36.90.368
Art Historical Context
This exquisite fragment, titled simply *Piece*, hails from Italy during the opulent 16th–17th centuries, a golden age for European textile arts. Crafted by an unknown artist using luxurious silk and metal threads, this small velvet panel measures just 7½ by 3¼ inches (19.1 x 8.3 cm). Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of's Department of European Sculpture and Decor Arts—thanks to a 1936 gift from The Piece Dye Works—it exemplifies the pinnacle of Renaissance and early Baroque weaving mastery. Italian velvets like this were prized worldwide for their rich texture and sheen, achieved through...