Piece

Unknown Artist

ca. 1795

Piece by Unknown Artist

Medium

Cotton

Dimensions

L. 31 x W. (loom) 30 3/4 inches (78.7 x 78.1 cm)

Classification

Textiles-Printed

Culture

British

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Rogers Fund, 1963

Accession Number

63.54.1

Tags

Flowers

Art Historical Context

This charming printed cotton textile, simply titled *Piece*, dates to around 1795 and hails from Britain, a period when the textile industry was booming amid the early Industrial Revolution. Measuring about 31 by 30¾ inches, this square fragment exemplifies the artistry of British calico printing, where intricate designs were transferred onto cotton fabric using wooden blocks or emerging copperplate techniques. Floral motifs, as suggested by its tags, were immensely popular, drawing from nature's abundance and reflecting the era's fascination with botanical elegance in home furnishings and fas...

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