Textile Objects Research Articles

Reinforcement and Deacidification for a Textile Scroll Painting (AD 1881) Using the CNF and MgO Suspensions.

The scroll paintings for ancestor trees have been used to inherit the spirit of ancestor worship as a historical record of family development since the late Ming Dynasty in China. A severely degraded scroll painting of an ancestor tree (made of cotton textiles) needs intervention and conservation treatment to mitigate further deterioration. On the basis of the previously reported characterization results for the painting, in this paper, a suspension that is composed of 0.6% cellulose nanofibril (CNF) and nanosized 0.15% MgO in aqueous solvent (denoted as the CNF-MgO susairpension) was prepared. Conventional characterization methods were used to assess the properties of model samples before and after treatment with the CNF-MgO suspension, as well as before and after degradation under two sets of conditions. The results show that the treated model samples are slightly alkaline, given the deposit of alkaline particles, and demonstrate good mechanical properties before and after degradation due to the increase in fiber-to-fiber bond and mitigation of acid-catalyzed hydrolysis. In spite of the non-transparency of CNF and MgO nanoparticles, they have little impact on the optical properties of textiles, as verified by transmittance data and the determination of color changes. This suspension was then used to reinforce and restore the scroll painting in a practical conservation process. The application of CNF and MgO nanoparticles on textile objects investigated in this study would expand our understanding of the conservation of such objects, especially for those that have already become acidic and degraded.

Thinking methodologies with textiles, thinking textiles as methodologies in the context of transitional justice

In this paper, we examine the methodological possibilities of working with personal textile objects, such as clothes in need of mending, beloved personal blankets, and knotted rag dolls. Our focus is on a transdisciplinary project that sought to collectively explore how the bodies of professionals working for the Colombian Transitional Justice System are affected when engaging with narratives of war and conflict. We contend that textile making in this context serves a dual methodological purpose when facilitating spaces of careful research. Firstly, this material practice enables participants to pause and immerse themselves in their own experiences, something that in turn is generative of personal reflections. Secondly, the created objects become appreciation devices capable of documenting and eliciting memories that continually engage participants and researchers in new inquiries. Consequently, this paper contributes to the understanding of object-oriented methodologies as inherently relational and situated. Moreover, it aims to comprehend textile making practices as capable of unfolding care as a research practice.

Non-invasive analysis of heritage textiles with MA-XRF mapping—exploring the possibilities. The study of Bishop Jacques de Vitry's mitres and fragile medieval reliquary purses from Namur (Belgium)

This manuscript explores the potential of macro-X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) for the non-invasive analysis of heritage textiles. XRF, especially with the portable instruments, is a well-known technique for the non-destructive examination of various cultural heritage objects. It allows analysis of elemental composition based on single-point measurements. However, large, or complex textiles require numerous analysis points to identify the materials used and correctly interpret the spectra. MA-XRF takes this type of research to the next level, as it is possible to visualise the element distribution over an entire mapped area. In this paper, we discuss the application of this technique to the study of complex and multi-layered textile objects from exceptional Belgian heritage collections, including two mitres attributed to Bishop Jacques de Vitry, dating between twelfth and thirteenth century, and two of the seven extremely fine medieval reliquary purses from Namur. These are very fragile, richly decorated textile objects whose current state of preservation is a major impediment to sampling. MA-XRF mapping was applied for the identification of the elements of different materials in a non-invasive manner, including metal threads, ink, dyes, and various materials used in illuminations. In addition to material identification, stratigraphic information was obtained from the visualisation of element distributions, and hidden structural details were discovered. MA-XRF was also tested on some areas with more relief, such as the embroidery and braid made with metal threads, and the undulated multi-layered structure of the parchment mitre. Even though the analyses here could not be carried out in optimal conditions, these locations could also be analysed, albeit at a lower resolution. Finally, the technique proved very effective as a tool for screening, allowing samples to be taken at a more informative and representative location and minimising sampling.

Ottoman palace weavings between different periods: material characterization, comparison and suggestions for conservation

Historical textiles, which are an invaluable part of the cultural material heritage, and the materials used in their production bear witness to the social past. Although a textile object was originally produced out of necessity, later it became a symbol of magnificence, power, and might. The most important basic elements that contribute to these properties are the materials used in its production, among which silk fiber, and metallic threads containing gold and silver are the leading ones. In addition to the aging behavior of textile objects due to their organic structure, the deterioration process is accelerated due to various factors such as use, environmental factors, mismanagement, inappropriate storage and display conditions, incorrect restoration-conservation practices, natural disasters, etc. In this study, a total of 7 metallic threaded textile works dated between the 16 and 19 centuries and used by the Ottoman Palace dynasty in the textile collection of the Topkapı Palace Museum (TPM) were examined. In this context, visual evaluation/documentation, color measurement, technical analysis, dyestuff analysis, elemental composition, and corrosion products were determined in the historical textiles. In this study, the following analytical instruments were used for the analyses: a CIEL*a*b* spectrophotometer, an optical microscope (OM), high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (HPLC–PDA), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX). Thanks to this study, it was aimed to document the palace fabrics containing silk and metallic yarn used in the Ottoman period, to characterize the materials they contain, to determine the production method, and to determine of the deterioration products that occur over time. According to the results obtained from the analyses, insect-origin dyestuffs in red, pink, and purple were used. When the fabrics of the sixteenth century and the fabrics of the nineteenth century were compared, it was determined that there was a decrease in the quality of weaving. In addition, it was determined that the fiber in the metallic yarn core in the textile object dated to the end of the 19th/beginning of the twentieth century was produced by using cotton instead of silk, and also the thickness of the metal strip and the wrapping density were decreased. No significant difference was detected in the chemical composition of the strips in the metallic yarns found in the examined historical textiles, but only the silver element was detected in the metal strip, although the metallic yarn core in the last period textile object was yellow in color. All these results showed that there was a difference between the sixteenth-century textiles of the rise of the Ottoman Empire and the nineteenth-century textiles of the dissolution period. This difference is especially evident in the quality of the weaving, the density of the materials used, and the chemical composition of the metal strip. In addition, all these analyses will guide textile experts in possible restoration-conservation studies.

Optimization of the Process of Eliminating Microorganisms Harmful to Human Health and Threatening Objects Isolated from Historical Materials from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland (A-BSM) Collection with the Use of Ethanol in the Form of Mist

The aim of the study was to assess the biocidal effectiveness and the effect of 80% and 90% ethanol applied in the form of mist on the surface of textile materials from historical A-BSM objects. The microorganisms used for the tests, namely, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium chrysogenum, were isolated from the surface of textile objects in the A-BSM. Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger were also used from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). Fabric samples were inoculated with microorganisms at a concentration of 105-106 CFU/ml. Ethanol in the form of mist was applied in concentrations of 80% and 90%. Airbrushes VL 0819 and VE 0707 were used for this purpose, where the pressure was 0.2 MPa and the PA HEAD VLH-5 nozzle with a tip of 1.05 mm in diameter was used. In order to achieve more effective disinfection after applying the ethanol mist, samples were stored in PE foil in the conditions of 21 °C ± 1 °C for 22 ± 1 h. After applying the ethanol mist, changes in the properties of the materials were assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The reduction in the number of microorganisms on modern cotton fabric after the use of ethanol in the form of mist at concentrations of 80% and 90% ranged from 93.27% to 99.91% for fungi and from 94.96% to 100% for bacteria, except for 74.24% for B. subtillis. On the historical fabric, after the time of application of 90% ethanol was shortened to 4 s, the microorganisms were reduced by over 99.93% and S. aureus was completely eliminated. After applying the tested disinfection technique, no changes in fiber morphology were observed on the surface of the model and historical cotton.

Polyamide-Based Adhesive Lascaux 5350 in Textile Conservation—Properties, Stability and Use

Lascaux Polyamid-Textil-Schweisspulver 5350 is a hot-melt adhesive with promising properties for applications in textile conservation. The study presented aims at examining the properties and long-term stability of this adhesive. It also deals with the possibilities of its use for bonding proteinaceous and cellulosic textiles and describes particular methods of using the adhesive either in the form of powder or as a prepared adhesive film. The adhesion techniques are compared with conventional sewing methods commonly used to consolidate damaged textile objects. In addition, the study also deals with the reversibility of the adhesive treatments.

Identification of Metal Threads from Croatian Fabrics

Abstract This article deals with the analysis of metal threads in weaving from historical Croatian textiles, liturgical vestments, and folk costumes from the seventeenth to the twentieth century. The independent narrow stripes, wires, and the srma that was formed by a combination of metal thread wrapped around a non-metal textile yarn were collected and analysed. Using physicochemical method scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), the metal composition and content in the threads were analysed. By cross-sectional analysis of metal threads by the SEM-EDX method, it was determined whether the metal threads were homogeneous, gilded, or silver-plated. The composition and structure of non-metal textile yarns were determined by light microscopy. Metal threads were primarily made of gold, silver, or copper and their alloys, but recently less valuable metals having a similar shine have generally been used. Non-metal textile threads in srma are most often made of silk, cotton, and linen. The aim of this study was to determine which type and composition of metal threads were used in different regions of Croatia, which can serve as a database for the restoration and conservation of valuable historical textiles. Also, according to the composition of metal threads, the technology of production threads can be determined and the temporal and spatial dating of textile objects can be determined approximately.

Caring Through Cloth: Textiles and the Trauma of Stillbirth

The Caring through Cloth project links rituals of sensing, caregiving, and making with baby clothes and related textiles to adaptive coping in stillbirth loss. Stillbirth is traumatic because it (a) disrupts the natural order of life, (b) is an ambiguous loss, leaving little tangible evidence to validate or narrate it, (c) is a cultural taboo and stigma, disenfranchizing loss, personhood and parenthood and (d) can lead to complicated grief. As such mourning stillbirth is challenging both psychologically and socially. Blankets, baby clothes and soft toys feature in clinically based stillbirth rituals which promote physical contact, caregiving, and memory making. Textiles form part of memory boxes and are often used to assist personal rituals. Arts projects and charities gift or support the making of textile objects to aid those who grieve. Despite this, there is limited analysis of the significance of textiles to mourning stillbirth and little exposition of the theories of meaning which are employed. This study adopts a psychobiological understanding of art and uses Dissanayake’s Artification Hypothesis and Gibson’s theory of Affordance, to examine the role textiles play in mourning stillbirth. This paper (a) reviews literature and contextual sources and (b) uses auto and sensory ethnography to investigate the relationship between textiles and mourning stillbirth. It identifies that baby clothes and related textiles afford rituals of sensing, caregiving and making that can be used to artify and express, through analogy, the needs and cares of parents who have experienced stillbirth. These initial findings have informed the design of a Caring through Cloth workshop, which seeks to support parents in their adaptive coping and collect qualitative data to further assess the adaptive significance of sensing, interacting and making with textiles in arts-based activities.

Antibacterial Effect of Eco-Friendly Silver Nanoparticles and Traditional Techniques on Aged Heritage Textile, Investigated by Dark-Field Microscopy

An improper indoor microclimate has adverse effects on the state of preservation of historical textiles arranged in them, favoring the development of bacteriological microflora. The current study aims to combine traditional and innovative methods for cleaning and preserving a 100-year-old traditional blouse from Bihor, Romania. The material of the blouse was impregnated with 30 and 70 ppm silver nanosuspensions and washed with a substance obtained from boiling natural wood ash (lye). The research goals were to determine the antimicrobial action of lye washing and silver nanoparticles applied to the analyzed textile material and identify the way in which the environmental factors (light) act upon the conservation degree of textile objects impregnated with silver nanoparticles. All these procedures are eco-friendly and do not cause any damage to the constituent material of the fabrics. The use of the hyperspectral imaging technique proved the permeation of both 30 and 70 ppm silver nanosuspensions into the textile, producing changes in the textile’s reflectance spectrum after being treated with them. The results showed anti-bactericidal/fungal properties of both silver nanoparticles and lye. Microbiological analyses revealed that bacterial colonies were reduced to more than 95% in both cases. The antibacterial effect of silver nanoparticles on the textile material of the blouse was maintained throughout the duration of the study, and under normal environmental conditions, the effects would remain active for a long period.

THE PERISHABLE MATERIAL CULTURE OF THE PONTIC STEPPE SCYTHIANS: SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF A FOURTH‐CENTURY BC KURGAN BURIAL AT BULHAKOVO, UKRAINE

SummaryUsing the organic artefacts from the fourth‐century BC grave at Bulhakovo in southern Ukraine, this article discusses the economics of the perishable material culture of the Scythians of the Pontic Steppe region. Thanks to the survival of organic materials (wood, leather, textiles), the burial provides important information about the complex networks of production and exchange that existed in European Scythia. Scientific analyses produced new data regarding materials and techniques used for the production of wooden, leather and textile objects, providing an opportunity for a more nuanced discussion of their production and consumption.

Finds, Fragments, and Friendship: The Grace Crowfoot Collection at the Textile Research Centre, Leiden, and Its Value as Historical Record

This paper explores the Grace Mary Crowfoot collection of textile objects and letters found in the Textile Research Centre (TRC) in Leiden. Crowfoot, a textile archeologist worked mainly between North Africa and the Middle East, although her interests were far more expansive. Her collection in the TRC has largely gone unstudied. Including a variety of textile samples and related artifacts, along with letters between Crowfoot and her mentee Robert Charleston, the collection seems disparate, however I argue that we may garner much information from such a collection The paper questions how small, diverse collections can be useful for academic research. How can a small collection like the Crowfoot collection be used and how can it contribute to our understanding of the individual and wider society? This paper explores the opportunities and scope in analyzing smaller collections themselves as historical records.

Discolouration of fungal stains on cotton textiles

The effectiveness of an oxidative biomimetic copper-pyridine system (Cu-py-H2O2) was successfully demonstrated on model textile samples of unaged and artificially aged desized cotton inoculated with pure cultures of selected fungi, isolated from historical textile objects (Bjerkandera adusta (Basidiomycota), Cladosporium sp., Chaetomium cochlioides, Aspergillus conicus, and A. montevidensis (Ascomycota)). Colour, structure and mechanical properties of test cotton samples were evaluated. Investigation into bleaching effect against intra- and extracellular fungal pigments, and the influence on textile substrate revealed the 3-day treatment as the most appropriate length of bleaching procedure (bleaching achieved L*>90, a*<1, b*<10). The treatment had some undesirable effects on the structure and properties of the textile fabrics (cuticle flaking, longitudinal cracks, etc.), with mechanical (tensile) properties loss of maximum 60% (specific stress). The undesirable effects differed between test samples, with the least observed in control, uninoculated samples, moderate in samples, inoculated with the strains belonging to the selected ascomycetes, and the highest in the samples inoculated by selected basidiomycete (known to degrade cellulose). This is promising, as the Ascomycota are the fungi that usually cause the most intensive colouration of the textiles. Further optimization of the process may therefore lead to discolouration of the fungal stains with tolerable damage to underlaying textile.

A dual-mode strategy combining SERS with MALDI FTICR MS based on core-shell silver nanoparticles for dye identification and semi-quantification in unearthed silks from Tang Dynasty.

Silk, as one of the representative artifacts of China, profoundly affects the communication between eastern and western civilizations, and dyes, as the color support of silks, reflected crucial historical, cultural and technological information. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) characterized by vibrational information has been extensively employed in dye analysis. However, since natural plants with complex coloring compositions in ancient China were broadly applied in dying textiles, the existing SERS methods often misinterpret results in dye analysis. Besides, semi-quantification of each component was of great difficulty by SERS, limiting the exquisite comparative analyses of different historical samples. For the first time, a dual-mode strategy combining SERS with high mass resolution MALDI FTICR MS was developed in virtue of core-shell silver nanoparticles (AgNPs@PDA), which realized the precise identification and semi-quantification of complex dye mixtures, thus significantly improving the accuracy and applicability of traditional SERS method. Four typical dye components (alizarin, purpurin, berberine and indigo) have been identified and semi-quantified in unearthed dyed silks from Tang Dynasty based on the method. More interestingly, multiple dye components with different contents and their ratio could be precisely determined, which might help in further investigating their dyeing techniques. This dual-mode strategy represents a promising tool for providing solid support for cognition, evaluation and restoration of textile objects in museums and conservation centers.

Textile remains of the Avar cemetery at Tiszafüred-Majoros

Textile objects, elements of clothing placed in graves are seldom conserved and poorly researched. However, they inform us not only about clothing itself but also about other functions of textiles. Systematic collection and examination of fabrics may shed light on the textiles used by people of a certain region and period and what is more, import textiles may be identified. The study presents the catalogue and analysis of the textile remains excavated in Tiszafüred-Majoros, the largest Avar period cemetery in today eastern Hungary (mid-7th to 9th century AD).

The Hidden Potential of Textiles: How Do They Heal and Reveal Traumas?

The present study aims to investigate the relationship with textiles that could both heal and reveal trauma. The theoretical framework is supported by the author’s photography in various museums, exhibitions, and cities. The present paper is based on three dimensions: First, the making practices that emerged for the treatment of communities and trauma victims are discussed in detail. Second, the ability of clothing to trigger trauma due to the negative memories of the wearer is addressed. Finally, the artistic utilization of textiles in artworks that reflect traumatic social events is presented as memory-reminder tools. Based on these three dimensions, it was determined that textile objects are not mere objects but also actors that affect and transform our lives. Textiles are agents that could surface emotions such as anger, sadness, and joy.

Textile Slotted Waveguide Antennas for Body-Centric Applications.

One of the major challenges in the development of wearable antennas is to design an antenna that can at the same time satisfy technical requirements, be aesthetically acceptable, and be suitable for wearable applications. In this paper, a novel wearable antenna is proposed—textile realization of a slotted waveguide antenna. The antenna is realized using conductive fabric to manufacture the walls of a rectangular waveguide in which the slots were cut out. All connections and cuts are sewn with conductive thread taking over advantages of the traditional process of manufacturing textile objects. The developed slotted waveguide array prototype, containing three slots and designed for operation in the 5.8-GHz ISM band, is experimentally characterized and compared to an equivalent metallic antenna. The achieved operating bandwidth is larger than 300 MHz in both cases. The measured gain of a textile slotted waveguide array is around 9 dBi with a radiation efficiency larger than 50% in the whole operating bandwidth, i.e., the textile array showed a 2 dB lower gain in comparison to the metallic counterpart. The gain is stable in the whole bandwidth and the radiation patterns do not differ. The results demonstrated that such textile antennas are suitable for body-centric communication and sensor systems and can be integrated into clothing, e.g., into a smart safety vest or into a uniform. Further analysis of various realizations of slotted waveguide antennas is presented showing that different versions of the proposed antenna can be used in all three off-body, on-body, and in-body communication scenarios.

Unikáty oděvní sbírky Oddělení dějin tělesné výchovy a sportu Národního muzea

The Department of the History of Physical Education and Sport of the National Museum preserves among others also numerous textile objects that document physical education and sport activities in our region. From the mid-19th century to the present day, sport has been interwoven with the cultural and historical events in our country. The collections of sport paraphernalia document the leisure activities of the general population as well as, especially in the modern history, their occupation and socioeconomic status. By studying clothing collections, it is possible to extract the technological processes of the production of the materials, the development of fashion trends, the social division of the society or the political preferences of a state or a group. This article focuses on unique objects of Department of the History of Physical Education and Sport clothing collections.

Metal Content and Structure of Textiles in Textile Metal Threads in Croatia from 17th to 20th Century.

Textile metal threads were used to decorate historical Croatian textiles. There are three basic types of metal threads usually used on historical textiles in Croatia. These are narrow stripes, wires, and combined metal textile yarn called “srma”, made of metal thread spirally wrapped around the nonmetal textile yarn. Textile yarns were made of silk, linen, wool, or cotton. Metal threads were primarily made of gold, silver, and copper, and different alloys of these metals or threads are layered in the structure. Analysis of metal threads with three different methods was made and the most adequate method for the analysis of metal threads from historical textiles was established. Metal thread analysis was performed with scanning electron microscopy with an energy-dispersive X-ray detector (SEM-EDX), which was determined to be the most suitable for the analysis of historical textiles if cross-section analysis of metal threads is also performed. Textile threads from combined metal textile threads were analysed with a light microscope. This information of the metal threads’ content and structure as well as the composition of textile thread can lead to an understanding of the technology of production threads and also temporal and spatial dating of textile objects which is helpful to conservators and restorers of valuable historical textiles.

THE REPRESENTATION OF OTTOMAN COURT TEXTILES IN CINEMATOGRAPHIC NARRATIVE: FERZAN ÖZPETEK’S HAREM SUARE

Cinema benefits from design tools in many respects in the creation of both the representation and the reality. Making an interior design with textile design tools is closely related to the expression in cinema. The compatibility of each design object with the location and the content of a movie is important in terms of the fact that they will be presented to the audience. Especially in historical movies, textile objects are expected to reflect the reality. Textile and cinema, which contain different dynamics, are different from the other disciplines in semantic and technical terms. These two disciplines, which have a visual aesthetic in them, continuously improve in the historical process and contribute to the transformation of one another. This study in which the combination of textile and cinema in the creation of an interior design is discussed in design and time together, deals with the place of textile objects in the creation of the interior atmosphere and the movie image. Within the scope of this research, the relationship between textile and cinema has been analyzed through the images, places and characters presented to the audience in the movie Harem Suare (1999).

Ethel Mairet’s Textile Biotechnics and the Aesthetics of Materials

Scholars have generally analyzed the weaver Ethel Mairet’s work in terms of her craft practice and textile objects but have generally neglected her written work. More than a practitioner, Mairet read contemporary architectural and social theory, and her written work responds to discussions of design, technology, and biology found in Lewis Mumford, Sir Patrick Geddes, and László Moholy-Nagy. This engagement is most clearly signalled by her adoption and extension of the concept of “biotechnics.” In this article, I argue that this concept allowed Mairet to mediate between embodied and historical knowledge, tradition and modernism, and, by positioning the craft workshop as a research laboratory, between hand craft and industrial production. This article begins by surveying discussions of biotechnics among leading architects and designers, highlighting Mairet’s unique appropriation of the concept for the histories of materials, and textiles in particular. I then examine two sites of Mairet’s engagement in biotechnics: the school and the workshop. Mairet developed teaching programs for primary-school students based on the idea that the study of textiles and their biotechnics offered a method for understanding how materials were shaped by historical processes. In this way, she used textiles to connect students to history, geography, biology, and other subjects of study in science and culture. Research in biotechnics was thus not limited to scientific spaces, but had been practiced throughout the history of craft by sheep breeders, spinners, dyers, and, finally, weavers. Next, I examine how Mairet conceived that the weaver would use this knowledge in determining how to “express” a fiber’s biotechnics. I compare Mairet’s approach to that of Bauhaus weaving, demonstrating that despite considerable agreement on approaches to the craft, Mairet’s approach is distinctive in its treatment of history and materials. Finally, I suggest how Mairet’s approach to materials positions her as a modernist, yet one who remains connected to historical and traditional knowledge. Biotechnics allowed Mairet to mediate between her Arts and Crafts values and roots and the imperatives of modern industrial production so persistent in the debates of her period and subsequent scholarly literature.