Textile Fragment
Unknown Artist
4th–5th century
Medium
Wool, linen; plain weave, tapestry weave, weft loop weave
Dimensions
Textile: L. 18 5/8 in. (47.3 cm) W. 18 1/2 in. (47 cm) Mount: L. 19 1/2 in. (49.5 cm) W. 19 1/2 in. (49.5 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Tapestries
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase by subscription, 1889
Accession Number
89.18.21
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Textile Fragment, dating to the 4th–5th century, offers a glimpse into the sophisticated world of late antique weaving from the Islamic world. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Department of Islamic Art, this wool and linen piece—measuring about 18½ by 18⅝ inches—was acquired through a subscription purchase in 1889 Though the artist remains unknown, its classification as a tapestry highlights the era's mastery of textiles, which were prized for clothing, furnishings, and trade across the Mediterranean and Near East. Crafted using a combination of plain weave for the sturd...