Piece
Unknown Artist
16th–17th century
Medium
Silk and metal thread
Dimensions
L. 11 1/4 x W. 6 1/4 inches (28.6 x 15.9 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
36.90.476
Art Historical Context
This exquisite fragment of Italian velvet, dating to the 16th or 17th century, a glimpse into the lavish textile arts of Renaissance and early Baroque Italy. Titled simply *Piece*, it measures a modest 11¼ x 6¼ inches (28.6 x 15.9 cm) but exemplifies the era's mastery of luxury fabrics. Produced in workshops renowned for their innovation, such velvets were prized for ecclesiastical vestments, elite garments, and sumptuous furnishings, symbolizing wealth and status in a time when Italy led Europe in silk production and trade. Crafted from shimmering silk woven with metal threads—likely gold or...