Textile Fragment
Unknown Artist
16th–17th century
Medium
Silk
Dimensions
H. 18 in. (45.7 cm) W. 4 5/8 in. (11.7 cm)
Classification
Textiles
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Nanette B. Kelekian, in honor of Olga Raggio, 2002
Accession Number
2002.494.753
Art Historical Context
This exquisite silk textile fragment, dating to the 16th–17th century, offers a glimpse into the masterful world of Islamic textile arts. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Islamic Art, this strip—measuring 18 inches high and just 4⅝ inches wide—likely originated from a larger garment, sash, or ceremonial textile. Produced during a golden age of Islamic craftsmanship, when empires like the Safavid in Persia and the Ottoman in Turkey flourished, such fragments showcase the era's obsession with luxurious fabrics traded along the Silk Road. Silk, as the medium here, was a p...