Piece

Art Historical Context

This delicate silk fragment, titled simply *Piece*, hails from Japan during the 18th–19th centuries, a time spanning the opulent Edo period and the transformative early Meiji era. Measuring just 2¼ x 6¾ inches, it exemplifies the exquisite finesse of Japanese woven textiles, crafted from lustrous silk—a material central to Japan's economy and artistry. Donated to the Metropolitan Museum Art in 1896 by collectors Mr. and Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, it reflects the growing Western fascination with Japanese aesthetics at the turn of the century. Woven textiles like this were integral to daily life and...