Piece

Art Historical Context

This exquisite silk textile fragment, titled simply *Piece*, hails from Japan during the Edo period (5–1868), the 18th–19th century. Woven with remarkable precision, it measures just 13¼ x 7¾ inches (33.66 x 19.68 cm), likely part of a larger garment, screen, or decorative panel. The Asian Art Department's classification highlights its status as a fine example of woven textiles, where silk's lustrous sheen and durability made it a prized medium for everyday luxury and ceremonial use. In Edo Japan, a time of relative peace and urban prosperity, textiles flourished as an art form, blending func...