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"Weaving from Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic Egypt: The Rich Life and the Dance" is the title of an exhibit at the Krannert Art Museum, April 10-June 13, 1999. ATAM was a consultant for the analysis of selected textiles to identify particular fibers in the backgrounds and designs. The research team included curator Eunice D. Maguire, museum intern Andrea Kirstein, textile chemist Mastura Raheel, and ATAM Director Sarah Wisseman.
The textiles vary considerably in their state of preservation, probably because of different exposures to air and moisture over time. In some cases, missing threads have left ghost patterns indicating the original designs, and the dyes used to color the designs show different degrees of fading. In other examples, it is not always obvious which background fabrics and stitches are original and which are later restorations. Finally, it was clear that visual examination was not enough to identify different fabrics or fiber blends.
Due to the fragile nature of the fabrics and the need to keep them intact for the exhibit, only tiny loose threads were lifted for analysis. A magnifying glass, a low-powered microscope, and tweezers were the primary tools needed at the museum. Prof. Raheel's also used matches to burn 2-3 tiny threads to test for protein fibers (burnt wool has a distinctive smell) and plant fibers such as cotton. The cotton flared up and burned very quickly, like a wick. A few threads and bits of yarn were taken back to Prof. Raheel's laboratory for chemical tests (for example, dissolving in sulfuric acid) and examination under a better microscope. These additional procedures helped identify the silk and linen-silk in certain backgrounds, and a suspected wool-cotton blend turned out to be all wool.
Copyright 1999. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
