Textile Fragment
Unknown Artist
8th century
Medium
Silk; samite
Dimensions
Textile: H. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm) W. 11 in. (28 cm) Mount: H. 12 in. (30.5 cm) W. 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm) D. 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Woven
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Hayford Peirce, 1987
Accession Number
1987.440.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite silk samite textile fragment from the 8 century offers a glimpse into the opulent world of early Islamic. Woven during the Abbasid era, when textile production flourished in regions like Iraq and Central Asia, samite was a prestigious technique creating a reversible satin weave with a lustrous sheen. Prized for its durability and richness, silk samite was often used for elite garments, furnishings, and trade goods along the Silk Road, symbol luxury and craftsmanship. The fragment, measuring about 8¼ by 11 inches, features dynamic horse motifs—a common theme in Islamic textiles ...