Sleeve Band
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Silk, metallic thread; on silk
Dimensions
30 3/4 x 3 1/2 in. (78.11 x 8.89 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
30.75.563
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite **Sleeve Band**, crafted in 19th-century China during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), exemplifies the era's masterful textile arts. Measuring 30 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches, this narrow embroidered strip of silk adorned with metallic threads was likely attached to the sleeves of elite garments, such as formal robes worn by women of high status. The Qing period marked a pinnacle of Chinese embroidery, blending technical virtuosity with symbolic motifs—here, delicate floral patterns evoking prosperity, beauty, and harmony in traditional Chinese culture. Embroidered on a silk foundation, the...