Textile Fragment
Unknown Artist
2nd–3rd century
Medium
Linen, wool
Dimensions
Max. H. 3 15/16 in. (10 cm) Max. W. 3 3/8 in. (8.5 cm)
Classification
Textiles
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of George F. Baker, 1890
Accession Number
90.5.928
Art Historical Context
This delicate *Textile Fragment*, crafted from linen and wool around the 2nd–3rd century, invites us into the world of ancient weaving traditions. Measuring just under 4 inches high and 3.5 inches wide, tiny survivor—likely a piece of clothing, furnishing, or ritual cloth—showcases the remarkable durability of textiles despite their fragility over millennia. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Department of Islamic Art, it was generously gifted by George F. Baker in1890, preserving a link to early craftsmanship in regions that would later flourish under Islamic culture. Linen, prized for ...