Textile Fragment
Unknown Artist
5th century
Medium
Wool, linen; plain weave, tapestry weave
Dimensions
Max. H. 7 1/2 in. (19 cm) Max. W. 7 1/2 in. (19 cm)
Classification
Textiles
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of George F. Baker, 1890
Accession Number
90.5.152
Art Historical Context
This delicate textile fragment, dating to the 5th, offers a rare window into the sophisticated weaving traditions of late antiquity. Crafted from wool and linen plain weave for the foundation and tapestry weave for decorative elements, it measures just 7½ inches square—small enough to have adorned a garment, curtain, or household item. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Islamic Art, it the technical prowess of artisans in regions like Egypt or the Near East, where textiles bridged pre-Islamic and early Islamic cultures. Tapestry weave, a labor-intensive technique where c...