Historical Textiles Research Articles

Microbial diversity of pre-Columbian archaeological textiles and the effect of silver nanoparticles misting disinfection

Abstract Biodeterioration of archaeological materials contribute to significant economic losses and the destruction of invaluable pieces of cultural heritage. The study materials were 5 pre-Columbian fibres (1250–1450 A.D., Argentina). The microscopic analyses (SEM-EDS) showed that they were made of cotton, sisal and wool, as well as they were contaminated by mineral impurities and dust. So far, no research has been conducted on determining the effectiveness of disinfection with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) misting of historical textiles. The studies showed that the reduction of microorganism number was between 30.8–99.9%, which depended on the qualitative microbial contamination and its amount. Different AgNPs sensitivity of microorganisms was noted, with the least susceptible being endospore-forming bacteria Bacillus , more easily inhibited were bacterial genus Oceanobacillus , Kocuria , Paracoccus and moulds Cladosporium , Penicillium . AgNPs misting does not adversely influence the pH and chemistry textiles. The presented in this paper disinfection method with AgNPs misting can be used for disinfection of archaeological textiles made of wool, cotton and sisal, as an alternative to the currently available methods.

Novel synthesis of nanoparticles-based back coating flame-retardant materials for historic textile fabrics conservation

Novel flame-retardant back coating layer for historic textile fabrics was developed. Silica nanoparticles originated from agriculture waste rice husk were prepared through one pot thermal method. The morphological and structure properties of nanoparticles were studied. The silica nanoparticles were further impregnated with organic borate producing flame-retardant composite. The obtained composite incorporated with the binder by mechanical mixing providing flame-retardant coating paste. The coating paste spread on the back surface of textile fabrics. Varied compositions of nanoparticles, binder and organic borate were studied in the back coating layer. The flammability, thermal stability and mechanical properties of the blank and treated samples of linen fabrics as an inner support to the historical textiles were investigated. Flame retardancy of the back-coated linen samples has improved achieved high class of flame-retardant textile fabrics of zero rate of burning compared to 80.3 mm/min for blank. The synergistic effect of flame retardancy between nanoparticles and organic borate was investigated. The tensile strength of the flame retardant fabrics was enhanced by 27% and elongation was improved. The effect of industrial aging on the flame retardancy and mechanical properties of flame-retardant back coating textiles was studied.

Moisture dynamics in the masonry fabric of historic buildings subjected to wind-driven rain and flooding

Current climatic projections show clearly that increasingly more extreme weather events are to be expected in the future. Historic buildings are considered to be the most vulnerable to this adverse climatic impact, via moisture induced deterioration and resulting strength decay in their construction materials. Therefore, the identification of these climatic effects is important to be able to develop suitable tools to mitigate them, both for individual buildings and on a regional scale. This paper presents the analysis of a comprehensive environmental monitoring of two historic buildings in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, UK, to provide thorough insight on their performances under environmental loading on a comparative basis. Firstly, the effect of wind-driven rain (WDR) and flooding is assessed by correlation with relative humidity (RH) measurements. The WDR measurements are then compared against values calculated using well established semi-empirical models and reasons behind the limited correlation are discussed. The dynamic hygrothermal response of two different historic fabrics is studied in greater detail by monitoring in-wall temperature and RH. The conclusions drawn from the analysis of the monitoring outputs are then further elaborated on by using hygrothermal characterization obtained by dynamic vapour sorption (DVS) testing of material samples extracted from the fabric of these buildings. The study concludes that the current environmental conditions pose a threat on the building envelopes unless routine maintenance is provided, and that monitoring methodology devised is clearly successful in quantifying the exposure of the two historic buildings to environmental conditions, onsetting deterioration phenomena in the envelop materials.

Identification of Polish cochineal (Porphyrophora polonica L.) in historical textiles by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with spectrophotometric and tandem mass spectrometric detection.

The present work reports a method for identification of Polish cochineal (Porphyrophora polonica L.) in historical fabrics by the use of high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array and tandem mass spectrometric detection with electrospray ionization (HPLC-DAD-ESI MS/MS). This hyphened technique allows detection and identification of 16 new minor colorants present in the discussed scale insect (including two previously observed by Wouters and Verhecken (Ann Soc Entomol Fr. 1989;25:393–410), but specified only as compounds of unknown structures) that do not occur (e.g., in American cochineal). The MS/MS experiments, complemented with UV–VIS data, enable identification of mono- and di-, C- and O-hexosides of kermesic and flavokermesic acids or their derivatives. The present paper introduces a fingerprint of color compounds present in Polish cochineal and defines them, particularly pp6 (ppI, O-hexoside of flavokermesic acid), as its markers allow distinguishing of Polish-cochineal reds from the American ones. Usefulness of the selected set of markers for identification of Polish cochineal has been demonstrated in the examination of textiles from the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw using the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) method, originally elaborated on the basis of this study.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00216-016-9408-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Online coupling of high‐performance liquid chromatography with surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy for the identification of historical dyes

High‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is still, today, the technique of choice for the analysis of natural dyes in artistic objects and historical textiles, particularly in association with photodiode array (PDA) detection. In the last two decades, surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) gained also increasing importance for these investigations thanks to its sensitivity and limited requirements in terms of sample quantity. In favor of SERS, its high specificity in molecular recognition typical of vibrational spectroscopy should be mentioned, whereas this non‐separative technique is obviously disadvantaged in the analyses of mixed chromophores, as is often the case of many natural dyes and also of tints obtained by the combined use of different colorants. An optimized experimental setup combining the two techniques, HPLC‐PDA and SERS, is proposed in the present work, allowing online SERS detection of different dyeing compounds eluted from the HPLC column. Examples are presented concerning some of the colorants most widely used in history, such as morin and luteolin for yellow dyes, alizarin, purpurin, laccaic, kermesic, and carminic acids for red ones, and indigotin for blue tints. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

New Ways of Engaging with Historic Textiles: Interactive Images Online

Digital technologies provide new opportunities to envision, explore and create material culture, and thus to engage audiences and to undertake research. This paper introduces Polynomial Texture Mapping (PTM), one application of Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI), to the documentation and examination of a small number of textiles, straw plaits and wax seals. This technology enables the user to ‘re-light’ the on-screen ‘object’ (allowing the user to direct the lighting to meet their needs) and is particularly useful for inspecting textured surfaces online. PTM/RTI was explored as part of an integrated strategy to enhance access to, and preservation of, a unique set of design records: The Board of Trade Representations and Registers of Designs, 1839–1991, held in The National Archives, London. The use of PTM/RTI expands concepts of envisioning and encourages exploration of the role of digital technologies in the interactions between the viewer and what is viewed, between researchers and textiles of all sorts, and thus has the potential to offer both close-hand and remote ways of seeing the range of material fabrics and surfaces that would have adorned early modern and other historic interiors.

Ways of Seeing Early Modern Decorative Textiles

The article introduces and contextualises this special issue on ‘Ways of Seeing Early Modern Decorative Textiles’, which comprises a series of essays that draw on the activities, research findings and insights of an Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded research network, ‘Ways of Seeing the English Domestic Interior, 1500–1700: The Case of Decorative Textiles’. Critically evaluating the results of the network’s findings, the paper situates them within a broader investigation of the role of decorative textiles in shaping the experience of domestic interiors in the past and present, and explores new ways of reading such objects in the context of the household. It examines the historiography and current range of approaches to the study, interpretation and exhibition of historic textiles, and analyses the insights offered by bringing together different disciplinary and professional perspectives. It argues for the key significance of these textiles for both historical and modern perceptions of the domestic interior and for the importance of collaborative, cross-disciplinary approaches to researching them in order to understand how they functioned in the early modern period and to inform new directions for their display and presentation in the present.

FT-Raman Analyses of Blue Dyes Stuff Common in Swedish Folk Art from Hälsingland during 18th and 19th Century

The overall aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of the historic use of woad in Sweden in the 18th and 19th centuries. A key question is, whether it is possible to distinguish between indigo from woad and exotic indigo using Raman spectroscopy? Reference samples prepared according to historic recipes using woad, exotic indigo, logwood and brazilwood - were used to dye different textile fibres - cotton, wool and linen. In addition, various reference compounds - indigotin, indirubin, kaempferol, luteolin, 3-hydroxyflavone and tryptanthrin - as well as the ‘flower’ of the woad dye bath were analysed to identify specific fingerprint regions for each compound. Blue threads from four historic textiles - a skirt and three rag balls - from the region of Halsingland were then analysed in comparison to the references. A specific peak at 993 cm-1 was identified in the spectra taken from the flower of the woad vat, which we suggest possibly arises from 3-hydroxyflavone. DSA-ToF-MS analysis suggests flavoneglycosides as possible candidates. However, cellulosic substrates show a broad vibration at 999 cm-1 overlapping the flavone signature, thus rendering it non-diagnostic, but it might be possible to use this peak in Raman analyses supported by mass spectrometry to distinguish between indigo from woad and exotic indigo if the substrate is wool or if it is a pigment. Raman analyses of the historic samples identify the colourants as indigo and possibly woad and logwod mixed with brazilwood.

Investigation of crimson-dyed fibres for a new approach on the characterization of cochineal and kermes dyes in historical textiles

The colorant behaviour of cochineal and kermes insect dyes in 141 experimentally-dyed and 28 artificially-aged samples of silk and wool was investigated using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array detector (UHPLC-PDA), liquid chromatography electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) and image scanning electron microscopy – energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Partial-least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was then used to model the acquired UHPLC-PDA data and assess the possibility of discriminating cochineal insect species, as well as their correspondent dyed and aged reference fibres. The resulting models helped to characterize a set of 117 red samples from 95 historical textiles, in which UHPLC-PDA analyses have reported the presence of cochineal and kermes insect dyes.Analytical investigation of the experimentally-dyed and artificially-aged fibres has demonstrated that the ratio of compounds in the insects dye composition can change, depending on the dyeing conditions applied and the type of fibres used. Similarities were observed when comparing the UHPLC-MS and SEM-EDX results from the dyed and aged references with the historical samples. This was verified with PLS-DA models of the chromatographic data, facilitating the classification of the cochineal species present in the historical samples. The majority of these samples were identified to contain American cochineal, which is in agreement with historical and dye identification literature that describe the impact of this dyestuff into European and Asian dyeing practices, after the Iberian Expansion in the 16th century.The analytical results emphasize the importance of using statistical data interpretation for the discrimination of cochineal dyes, besides qualitative and quantitative evaluation of chromatograms. Hence, the combination of UHPLC-PDA with a statistical classification method, such as PLS-DA, has been demonstrated to be an advisable approach in future investigations to assess closely related species of natural dyes in historical textile samples. This is particularly important when aiming to achieve more accurate interpretations about the history of works of art, or the application of natural dyes in old textile production.

Applications of Raman spectroscopy in archaeometry: An investigation of pre-Columbian Peruvian textiles

In this work fibers from pre-Columbian Peruvian textiles and synthetic analogs of the natural dyes previously found in Andean historical textiles (indigo, carmine, indigo carmine, purpurin, alizarin and luteolin) were analyzed using a Raman microscope which was also used as a microspectrofluorimeter. SEM-EDS and FTIR were used as complimentary techniques. The efficiency of HNO3 etched copper surface as SERS substrates was investigated aiming at its application in archaeometry; in this particular case, the capability of such SERS active substrate to cope with luminescence presented by the dyed textile was evaluated.The archaeological fibers were identified as dyed wool by FTIR, FT-Raman and SEM; the red dye (carmine) was identified by resonance Raman and SERS, however, the blue dyed fiber presented a strong fluorescent background in the visible and, in the NIR, the FT-Raman spectrum was not conclusive, therefore the identification was performed using SERS through the dye in-situ reduction on a Cu etched disk.Specifically in the case of synthetic dyes, although all of them had already their SERS spectra reported in the literature, it is here shown that the copper etched surfaces provide SERS and SERRS information that are in full agreement with previously reported data, with the advantage of a much simpler and faster preparation.

Empire of Cotton: A Global HistorySven BeckertNew York: Knopf, 2014. 640 pp.; 91 b/w ills.Cloth $35.00ISBN 9780375414145

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsEmpire of Cotton: A Global HistorySven BeckertNew York: Knopf, 2014. 640 pp.; 91 b/w ills.Cloth $35.00ISBN 9780375414145Mary SchoeserMary Schoeser Search for more articles by this author Mary Schoeser is a V&A/Pasold Research Fellow and honorary president of the Textile Society UK. She has served as historic textiles adviser to English Heritage and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by West 86th Volume 22, Number 2Fall–Winter 2015 Sponsored by the Bard Graduate Center, New York Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/685871 Views: 111Total views on this site © 2015 by The Bard Graduate Center: Decorative Arts, Design History, and Material Culture. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

A fast and reliable detection of indigo in historic and prehistoric textile samples

Across all cultures and over all time periods, as early as the third millennium BC, indigo, a very intense blue vat dye, has been used to dye textiles. Even today, indigo is regarded as one of the most popular blue colorants in items such as blue jeans. While synthetic indigo is used to color textiles today, throughout history, a variety of plants have provided indigo. In this special feature article, René Csuk and co-authors propose to use atmospheric solids analysis probe mass spectrometry (ASAP-MS) to very rapidly and reliably identify indigo colorants tiny amounts in ancient historic fabrics without any sample preparation. The ionization in ASAP experiments is effected by Penning ionization or by the transfer of protons originating from protonated clusters of water. Dr. René Csuk is Professor of organic bioorganic chemistry at the Martin-Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg (Halle, Germany). His main research interests are in organic and medicinal chemistry, chemical biology and phytochemistry. Graphical Abstract: Historical samples can be investigated conveniently using ASAP®-MS experiments. ASAP®-MS allowed for rapid direct sampling without any preparation of the sample prior to its measurements, and reliable results were generated in less than 1 minute. As demonstrated for indigoid-type dyes, the efficacy of ASAP®-MS analysis is independent of the type of fiber, the age of the sample, the workmanship, and the state of preservation.

In Situ Applicability of Selected Nanotextiles on Surfaces of Historic Plasters

The paper deals with the stabilization, conservation and strengthening of historic plaster fabrics based on nanofibres. As a result of degradation processes, especially of a chemical nature accompanied by increased humidity historic masonry, there is a loss of cohesion and disturbance od the surface finish and plaster. Traditional remediation techniques and methods normally lead to a reduction of diffuse permeability in multiphase structure and create different expansion properties under the plaster. The undesirable features of these methods are their irreversible character. Currently, there are primarily preferred procedures which stabilize the structure of the external finishes and at the same time preserve the original features of the historical plasters. The paper will be listed in the partial results of the ongoing in-situ and laboratory research applications of fabric based on nanofibres, which are formed by the supporting layer and spinning polymer.

A fast and reliable detection of indigo in historic and prehistoric textile samples.

We present a method requiring no sample preparation for the direct identification of indigoid colorants in tiny amounts in ancient historic fabrics using ASAP®-MS. Exact determinations were completed in less than 1 min. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ron Mueck In Bed (2005)—A Contemporary Textile Challenge

Following the inclusion of Ron Mueck's In Bed (2005) in the 2010 National Gallery of Victoria Touring Exhibition Ron Mueck and the 2011 Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art Regional Tour In Bed by Ron Mueck, the artwork underwent a major conservation treatment. The treatment focused on remediation of textile staining and discolouration which had progressively increased over the period of exhibition. In addition to the treatment, the Gallery undertook to reproduce three textile components comprising the upper and lower pillowcases and the duvet cover. The monumental scale of In Bed posed considerable conservation challenges in both undertaking the cleaning treatment and manufacturing the reproduction textile pieces. An extensive literature review revealed little published material on the treatment of large contemporary textiles, therefore the treatment methodology was based on principles developed for historic textiles. To wash the oversised textile pieces, the Gallery built a 5 × 8 m custom-designed washtub and drying rack. The use of theatre curtaining in the manufacture of the original and reproduction textiles required experimental work to determine the validity and success of established historic textile treatments applied in a contemporary context.

HPLC-DAD-MS analysis of colorant and resinous components of lac-dye: A comparison between Kerria and Paratachardina genera

A database using high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection was created for lac-dye insects (Kerria and Paratachardina genera) in order to identify the red dye used in historical textiles. Lac from Kerria and Paratachardina species was easily distinguished by liquid chromatography coupled to negative electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Seventy-six historical lac-dye specimens and seven reference insect specimens were analyzed and compared with 41 historical carpet samples. Using this approach, the presence of Kerria spp. was identified in three carpets, pointing to an Iranian provenance and corroborating a 16th/17th-century date for them, obtained previously with C14 analysis.Multivariate data analysis was applied to differentiate sources of Kerria and improve the lac-dye database. PCA indicates that discrimination can be obtained according to composition. Information regarding pigment and resin concentrations is recovered separately in first and second principal components, respectively, which offers a basis of separation for this type of data.The development of this lac-dye database is an important step towards improving research on lac-dye species, which can contribute to more accurate identification of the provenance of historical textiles. This work reinforces the importance of using taxonomically-verified specimens of Kerria, previously submitted to molecular taxonomic studies, to construct a more reliable lac-dye database capable of identifying the lac species present in historical textiles, as well as the provenance of the insect used.

Application of redox proteomics to the study of oxidative degradation products in archaeological wool

Abstract Most archaeological and historical textiles (clothing, tapestries, blankets, carpets, etc.) present traces of UV-induced damage when exposed to light during their lifetime. Yellowing of the fibres, fading of the dyes and loss of physical properties, such as tensile strength are the typical indicators of photodegradation. Natural fibres made of proteins, such as wool and silk are particularly sensitive to UV damage. Photo-oxidative damage is caused by the accumulation of chemical modification at the amino acid residue level that lead to a range of oxidation products, including chromophores responsible for changes in coloration, as well as to the breaking of peptide bonds in the protein backbone. Amino acid residues with aromatic side-chain groups are particularly sensitive to photo-oxidation and breakthroughs have been made in recent years in the field of protein science to identify the photoproducts and locate them within proteins. This study explores new methodologies using redox proteomics-based strategies to assess the extent of photodamage in ancient wool textiles, by identifying modifications occurring at the molecular level. Using a scoring system to determine the level of oxidation in amino acids with aromatic side-chains (tryptophan, tyrosine, histidine and phenylalanine), we compare the effects of dyes and mordants on fibres after UV ageing, and assess the extent of oxidation on the different proteins composing the wool fibres. We determine that dyes and mordants have the capability of slowing down photo-oxidation during ageing. We also assess the effect of UV irradiation on deamidation, a modification targeting glutamine and asparagine, as it is a common marker of ageing in ancient proteins.

Identification of natural indigo in historical textiles by GC-MS.

The possibility of successfully applying a common GC-MS procedure for identification in one step of all types of dyes from plants of unknown origin and from historical objects is particularly attractive due to the high separation efficiency of the capillary columns, the MS detection sensitivity and the reproducibility of results. In this work, GC-MS analysis, previously and successfully used for the characterization of anthraquinones, flavonoids and tannins from plant extracts and historical samples, has been tested on indigoid dyestuffs. An analytical procedure based on the silylating agent N,O-bis-(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) with 1% trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) was applied to pure molecules of indigotin and indirubin and to plant extracts of Indigofera tinctoria L. and Isatis tinctoria L. Preliminary tests have been done to establish the chromatographic conditions and the derivatization amounts most suitable for the simultaneous detection of indigoid molecules and of the other natural compounds, such as fatty acids, carboxylic acids and sugars, contained within the plant extracts. In order to assess the capacity and the sensitivity of the analytical procedure in typical archaeometric applications, wool samples dyed in the laboratory with indigo were analysed by mimicking the sample amounts typically available with historical objects. The electron ionization (EI) spectra of the main silylated derivatives of indigoid molecules obtained in this way constitute the necessary data set for the characterization of natural extracts and historical works of art. Subsequently, the procedure has been applied to historical samples for the detection of indigo and of other dyestuffs eventually contained in samples. Additional information, useful for restoration and preservation of works of art, could be also obtained on the nature of stains and smudges present on the sampled textile material. The GC-MS method turns out to be an efficient and fast analytical tool also for the identification of natural indigo in plants and textile artefacts, providing results complementary to those from high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Chemical composition of the essential oil of Moluccella spinosa L. (Lamiaceae) collected wild in Sicily and its activity on microorganisms affecting historical textiles

In this study the chemical composition of the essential oil from aerial parts of Moluccella spinosa L. collected in Sicily was evaluated by GC and GC-MS. The main components of M. spinosa L. were α-pinene (26.6%), caryophyllene oxide (16.8%) and β-caryophyllene (8.6%). A comparison with other studied oils of genus Moluccella is made. Antibacterial and antifungal activities against some microorganisms infesting historical textiles were also determined.

Risk of Climate‐Induced Damage in Historic Textiles

AbstractEleven wool and silk historic textiles and two modern artist's canvases were examined to determine their water vapour adsorption, moisture dimensional response and tensile behaviour. All the textiles showed a similar general pattern of moisture response. A rise in ambient relative humidity (RH) from dry conditions produced expansion of a textile until a certain critical RH level after which a contraction occurred to a greater or lesser degree depending on the yarn crimp and the weave geometry. The largest expansion recorded between the dry state and 80% RH was 1.2 and 0.9% for wool and silk textiles, respectively. The largest shrinkage of 0.8% at high RH range was experienced by a modern linen canvas. Two potential damage mechanisms related to the moisture response of the textiles—stress building as a result of shrinkage of the textile restrained in its dimensional response and the fretting fatigue when yarns move with friction one against another—were found insignificant in typical textile display environments unless the textiles are severely degraded or excessively strained in their mounting.