Piece

Art Historical Context

This exquisite silk textile fragment, titled simply *Piece*, hails from Japan's Edo period (1615–1868), a time of relative peace and cultural flourishing under the Tokugawa shogunate. Measuring just 5¾ x 6¾ inches, this small woven artwork exemplifies the meticulous craftsmanship of Japanese silk production, centered in regions like Kyoto and Nishijin. Donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1896 by Mr. and Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, it entered one of the earliest Western collections of Asian art, highlighting growing global appreciation for Japan's refined aesthetics. Woven from fine silk threa...