Textile Fragment
Unknown Artist
5th century
Medium
Silk, linen (?); samite (?)
Dimensions
H. 1 in. (2.5 cm) W. 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Woven
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of George F. Baker, 1890
Accession Number
90.5.7b
Art Historical Context
This delicate textile fragment, dating to the 5th, offers a rare glimpse into the sophisticated weaving traditions of late antiquity. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Department, it measures just 1 inch high by 8¾ inches wide and was generously gifted by George F. Baker in1890. Crafted from silk and linen in a samite weave—a luxurious satin technique that creates a smooth, shimmering surface—this fragment exemplifies early textile artistry from regions like Sassanian Persia or Central Asia areas pivotal to the Silk Road trade. Samite, prized for its durability and opulence, ...