Table cover
Unknown Artist
16th century
Medium
Linen, embroidered net
Dimensions
L. 78 1/2 x W. 47 inches 199.4 x 119.4 cm
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
Italian, possibly Sicily
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Mabel Metcalf Fahnestock Collection, the gift of Ruth Fahnestock Schermerhorn and Faith Fahnestock, 1933
Accession Number
33.90.7
Art Historical Context
This exquisite 16th-century table cover, crafted from linen embroidered net, hails from Italy—possibly Sicily—and measures an impressive 78½ by 47 inches (199.4 x 119.4 cm). Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts as part of The Mabel Metcalf Fahnestock Collection (gifted in 1933), it exemplifies the era's mastery of textile craftsmanship. Such large-scale pieces were prized possessions in Renaissance households, adorning dining tables to showcase wealth and refinement during lavish meals and gatherings. The medium reveals sophistica...