Piece

Art Historical Context

This exquisite silk textile fragment, known simply as *Piece*, hails from Japan's Edo period (1615–8), a time of relative peace and cultural flourishing under the Tokugawa shogunate. Dating to the 18th century, it exemplifies the era's mastery of woven textiles, which were essential for luxurious garments like kimonos and obi sashes. Woven in silk using a compound weave technique—a sophisticated method allowing multiple layers and intricate patterns to be created simultaneously—this small piece (just 7 1/8 × 3 1/2 inches) likely served as part of a larger decorative fabric, showcasing the prec...