Sample
Unknown Artist
early 19th century
Medium
Silk on felt
Dimensions
L. 3 3/8 x W. 2 3/4 inches 8.6 x 7 cm
Classification
Textiles-Embroidered
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of The United Piece Dye Works, 1936
Accession Number
36.90.1685
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate embroidered sample from early 19th-century invites us into the world of fine textile craftsmanship. Measuring just 3⅜ × 2¾ inches (8.6 × 7 cm), it silk threads worked onto a felt ground, blooming with floral motifs that capture the era's love for naturalistic patterns. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of European Sculpture and Decor Arts, it was generously gifted by The United Piece Dye Works in1936. As a classified embroidered textile, this piece likely served as a swatch or design prototype in France's thriving fabric industry, a hub of innovation during t...