Textile Sample from Sample Book

Art Historical Context

This exquisite 6 x 6-inch silk tapestry hails from a 19th Japanese sample book, a practical yet artistry-filled used by textile merchants to intricate woven patterns to potential clients. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1909 and now housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Asian Art Department, it exemplifies the precision of Japan's woven textile tradition, where small swatches like this previewed larger bolts destined for kimonos, furnishings, or export goods. In the context of 19th-century Japan—spanning the late Edo and early Meiji periods—this piece reflects a flourishing textile indu...