Surveying silk fibre degradation by crystallinity determination: a study on the Tang-Dynasty silk treasure from Famen Temple, China
Surveying silk fibre degradation by crystallinity determination: a study on the Tang-Dynasty silk treasure from Famen Temple, China
When Chinese archaeologists opened an unknown vault under the collapsed pagoda of Famen Temple near Xian (Shaanxi Province, NW China) in 1987, they found a vast amount of valuable silk textiles. The degraded textiles were part of a treasure comprising hundreds of artifacts deposited by Tang dynasty (ad 618–907) emperors as a gift to the temple. Run as a bilateral German-Chinese project, the Roemisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz established a textile conservation laboratory in Shaanxi´s provincial capital Xian in 2001, joining numerous other laboratories that have existed there since the early 1990s.
This preliminary study represents part of an ongoing investigation programme that accompanies the conservation work. The Tang dynasty silk is generally in a very poor state of preservation as a result of its long burial period. Large sections have only survived as an amorphous brown mass of fibre debris. Some parts are better preserved, however, offering the unique opportunity to study the whole range of degradation stages on ancient silks.
This preliminary scientific investigation focuses on the determination of the silk fibres’ crystallinity and its relation to the ageing process. As we know from modern material, silk is mainly crystalline, albeit in a somewhat amorphous state. The methods of investigation used were X-ray diffraction (XRD) using synchrotron radiation, which is a new way to determine crystallinity of ancient silk fibres; and polarized Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for the determination of crystallite orientation. Both methods were specifically devised to gain information on small single fibres.
silk, degradation, synchrotron study, polarized ir spectroscopy, famen, china
1873132794
38-43
Greiff, Susanne
abbc666b-5eea-45f6-8e68-0455505724d0
Kutzke, Hartmut
35c3232d-eb36-482e-9510-4ba291016386
Riekel, Christian
6ad7212b-85db-4e95-8b46-3550a71a7daf
Wyeth, Paul
22692fd7-e021-4617-b7cf-e76388e2c738
Lahlil, Sophia
472ea973-b748-4561-90c3-178437948af8
1 September 2005
Greiff, Susanne
abbc666b-5eea-45f6-8e68-0455505724d0
Kutzke, Hartmut
35c3232d-eb36-482e-9510-4ba291016386
Riekel, Christian
6ad7212b-85db-4e95-8b46-3550a71a7daf
Wyeth, Paul
22692fd7-e021-4617-b7cf-e76388e2c738
Lahlil, Sophia
472ea973-b748-4561-90c3-178437948af8
Greiff, Susanne, Kutzke, Hartmut, Riekel, Christian, Wyeth, Paul and Lahlil, Sophia
(2005)
Surveying silk fibre degradation by crystallinity determination: a study on the Tang-Dynasty silk treasure from Famen Temple, China.
Janaway, Rob and Wyeth, Paul
(eds.)
In Scientific Analysis of Ancient and Historic Textiles.
Archetype Publications.
.
Record type:
Conference or Workshop Item
(Paper)
Abstract
When Chinese archaeologists opened an unknown vault under the collapsed pagoda of Famen Temple near Xian (Shaanxi Province, NW China) in 1987, they found a vast amount of valuable silk textiles. The degraded textiles were part of a treasure comprising hundreds of artifacts deposited by Tang dynasty (ad 618–907) emperors as a gift to the temple. Run as a bilateral German-Chinese project, the Roemisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz established a textile conservation laboratory in Shaanxi´s provincial capital Xian in 2001, joining numerous other laboratories that have existed there since the early 1990s.
This preliminary study represents part of an ongoing investigation programme that accompanies the conservation work. The Tang dynasty silk is generally in a very poor state of preservation as a result of its long burial period. Large sections have only survived as an amorphous brown mass of fibre debris. Some parts are better preserved, however, offering the unique opportunity to study the whole range of degradation stages on ancient silks.
This preliminary scientific investigation focuses on the determination of the silk fibres’ crystallinity and its relation to the ageing process. As we know from modern material, silk is mainly crystalline, albeit in a somewhat amorphous state. The methods of investigation used were X-ray diffraction (XRD) using synchrotron radiation, which is a new way to determine crystallinity of ancient silk fibres; and polarized Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for the determination of crystallite orientation. Both methods were specifically devised to gain information on small single fibres.
Text
ARC-AnHis-Grieff-38-43.pdf
- Version of Record
Restricted to Repository staff only
More information
Published date: 1 September 2005
Venue - Dates:
AHRC Research Centre for Textile Conservation and Textile Studies: First Annual Conference: Scientific Analysis of Ancient and Historic Textiles: Informing Preservation, Display and Interpretation, , Winchester, United Kingdom, 2004-07-13 - 2004-07-15
Keywords:
silk, degradation, synchrotron study, polarized ir spectroscopy, famen, china
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 18715
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/18715
ISBN: 1873132794
PURE UUID: 38d91ac1-05ef-49a6-b100-47efb61134d1
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 23 Nov 2005
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 06:07
Export record
Contributors
Author:
Susanne Greiff
Author:
Hartmut Kutzke
Author:
Christian Riekel
Author:
Paul Wyeth
Author:
Sophia Lahlil
Editor:
Rob Janaway
Editor:
Paul Wyeth
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics