George Washington

Jacques Allardet

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Silkworms produce irregular and less smooth fibroins at the beginning and the end of fabricating their cocoons. Some weavers discard these silk fibers to control the overall yarn quality. As this textile's warps and wefts are not uniform, it is possible that part of the textile was woven using the irregular fibers. However, the final product does not reveal the silk yarn's imperfect quality to the naked eye.

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The fifty thousand objects in the Museum's comprehensive and historically important collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century. The holdings include sculpture in many sizes and media, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork and jewelry, horological and mathematical instruments, and tapestries and textiles. Ceramics made in Asia for export to European markets and sculpture and decorative arts produced in Latin America during this period are also included among these works.

Metropolitan Museum of Art