Piece

Art Historical Context

This exquisite silk textile, titled *Piece*, hails from Japan during the 18th–19th, a time when the Edo period's prosperity fostered refined craftsmanship in everyday luxury items. Measuring a compact 6¾ x 11¾ inches, its delicate woven suggests it formed part of a folding fan (sensu), a ubiquitous accessory in Japanese society. Fans were not mere utilities but symbols of status, carried by samurai, merchants, and geisha alike, often customized for seasons, festivals, or personal expression. Woven from fine silk, the medium exemplifies Japan's mastery of textile arts, where intricate patterns...