Sleeve Band
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Silk, metallic thread; on silk
Dimensions
36 1/2 x 6 in. (92.71 x 15.24 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Embroidered
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of William Christian Paul, 1929
Accession Number
30.75.206
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite **Sleeve Band** from19th-century Qing dynasty China (1644–1911) is a masterful example of embroidered textiles, crafted from silk adorned with shimmering metallic threads. 36½ x inches, it features intricate motifs of birds and human, common in elite Chinese garments. These decorative bands were typically sewn onto the sleeves of robes, enhancing the wearer's status with their luxurious sheen and fine detail. In the opulent Qing era, embroidery like this reached new heights of technical virtuosity, blending silk's softness with metallic threads for a jewel-like effect. Birds o...