Piece
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Silk / Compound weave
Dimensions
4 5/8 × 4 3/4 in. (11.7 × 12.1 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Woven
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Kihei Hattori, in memory of his father, Kihei Hattori, 1920
Accession Number
20.148.892
Art Historical Context
This exquisite silk textile fragment, dating to the 18th century during China's Qing dynasty (16441911), offers a glimpse into the pinnacle imperial craftsmanship. Measuring just 4 5/8 × 4 3/4 inches, this small "Piece" from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art collection exemplifies the's luxurious woven textiles, likely part of a larger garment, robe, or furnishing. The Qing period was renowned for its economic prosperity and cultural refinement, where silk production flourished as a symbol of status and sophistication, traded along the Silk Road and beyond. Crafted in a compound weav...