Textile with Brocade
Unknown Artist
14th century
Medium
Silk, gold thread
Dimensions
Overall: 5 3/8 × 4 3/4 in. (13.7 × 12 cm) Storage (Mat): 8 1/2 × 13 in. (21.6 × 33 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Woven-Brocade
Culture
Italo-Arabic
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1909
Accession Number
09.50.999
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Textile with Brocade from the 14th century exemplifies the luxurious fusion of Italo-Arabic craftsmanship during the medieval period. Crafted from shimmering silk woven with opulent gold thread, this fragment—measuring just 5 3/8 × 4 3/4 inches—likely originated from workshops in Sicily or southern Italy, where Norman rulers blended Islamic weaving traditions with European tastes. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1909, it now graces the Medieval Art department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art a testament to vibrant cross-cultural exchanges along Mediterranean trade routes. ...