Piece
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Gauze
Dimensions
Overall (a): 16 1/4 x 28 1/4 in. (41.3 x 71.8 cm) Overall (b): 14 x 28 in. (35.6 x 71.1 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Woven
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo (1615–1868) or Meiji period (1868–1912)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
Accession Number
91.1.73a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite woven gauze textile, simply titled *Piece*, hails from 19th-century Japan, spanning the late Edo period (1615–1868) or early Meiji era (1868–1912). Measuring approximately 16¼ × 28¼ inches and 14 × 28 inches in its two sections, it showcases the masterful lightness and transparency of gauze—a sheer, open-weave fabric prized for its ethereal quality. Japanese gauze weaving demanded extraordinary skill, with weavers using fine silk threads to create delicate, airy patterns that seem to float like mist. The phoenix motif, a recurring tag for this work, holds profound cultural reso...