Textile with Peonies
Unknown Artist
Medium
Resist-dyed and painted plain-weave silk
Dimensions
Sight: 8 1/16 x 9 1/2 in. (20.5 x 24.1 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Dyed
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Sue Cassidy Clark, in honor of Dr. Barbara Brennan Ford, 2008
Accession Number
2008.335.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Textile with Peonies* is a fragment of plain-weave silk, just 8 1/16 x 9 1/2 inches, adorned with lush peonies and leaves rendered in vibrant hues. Created during Japan's Edo period (1615–1868), a time of relative peace and cultural flourishing, it exemplifies the refined textile arts that thrived in urban centers like Kyoto and Edo (modern Tokyo). Peonies, known as *botan* in Japanese, symbolize wealth, honor, and bravery, making them a popular motif in decorative arts of the era. The artwork showcases sophisticated resist-dyeing and painting techniques, likely yūzen-style, w...