Textile Fragment

Art Historical Context

This exquisite textile fragment from the 18th century exemplifies the opulent woven traditions of Islamic art. Crafted from silk, cotton, and metalrapped threads using the brocading technique, measures a modest 4 by 10 inches, suggesting it is a surviving piece from a larger garment, furnishing, or ceremonial textile. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Art Department, it was generously gifted by the Museum of the Cranbrook Academy Art in 1946Brocading, a sophisticated weaving method, involves inserting supplementary weft threads—often luxurious metal-wrapped ones—over a ground weave to...