Piece
Unknown Artist
18th–19th century
Medium
Silk
Dimensions
6 x 7 1/4 in. (15.24 x 18.41 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Woven
Culture
Japan
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1896
Accession Number
96.14.1701
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate silk textile fragment, titled simply *Piece*, hails from Japan during the 18th or 19th century, a time when silk weaving reached extraordinary heights of artistry in the Edo and early Me periods. Measuring just 6 x 7¼ inches, it exemplifies the precision of Japanese woven textiles, likely a remnant from a larger garment or decorative object. Floral motifs, as suggested by its tags, bloom across its surface—a nod to Japan's profound reverence for nature, where flowers symbolized seasonal beauty, renewal, and the fleeting essence of life known as *mono no aware*. Crafted in silk, ...