From the bottom of the sea to the display case: A study into the long-term preservation of archaeological maritime silk textiles in controlled atmosphere

Abstract

An exceptional group of silk fragments was unearthed in 2014 from a shipwreck, which sank in the mid-17th century, in the Wadden Sea, The Netherlands. A unique example of 17th-century fashion, it comprises about 300 textile fragments from garments, parts of garments and furnishing fabrics, almost entirely made of silk and embroidered or woven with metal thread. These are in remarkably good condition, which may be related to the archaeological environment, the quality of the silk yarns in the fragments, and the presence of metal threads and other metallic objects from the shipwreck. Surviving archaeological maritime silk textiles are extremely rare, which makes this a distinctive find posing challenges for selecting the most suitable conditions for exhibition and storage.Scientific research was carried out with the aim to evaluate the response of modern and archaeological silks to temperature, relative humidity, light and oxygen, in order to define the most suitable parameters for the long-term storage and exhibition of the collection. Artificially aged samples taken from one of the archaeological fragments were analysed at the visual, structural and molecular level by means of colour measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a fluorescence detector (UHPLC-FLD). The results showed that light exposure, in combination with high temperatures, oxygen and moisture strongly affected the silk's structure and molecular composition. Limiting exposure to light and removing oxygen reduced this effect and increased life expectancy significantly. Therefore, the analytical results obtained were essential to defining a preliminary preservation strategy for the collection: while on display, anoxic conditions slow down degradation of the silk by a factor of 4-5, whereas in a in dark storage, a low RH is the most important factor, with anoxic conditions providing additional reduction of decay.

Analytical Investigation of Jiatang Scroll Paintings in the Seventh Year of the Guangxu Era

“…This information is of great value for the protection and restoration of the works of archaeological textiles. The degradation mechanism and the preservation environment of cotton, silk, and hemp [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] have aroused Materials like cotton, silk, and hemp were usually used as raw materials in the creation of scroll paintings. The paintings are highly desirable due to the uniqueness of the work of art and the features of flexibility, heterogeneity, and draping quality.…”

“…This information is of great value for the protection and restoration of the works of archaeological textiles. The degradation mechanism and the preservation environment of cotton, silk, and hemp [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] have aroused the interest of scientists. In addition, these works provide an important reference for understanding the inheritance and development of culture in ancient China.…”

Evaluating the Impacts of Alcohol-Based Solutions on Silk: Chemical, Mechanical and Wettability Changes before and after Artificial Ageing

“…Moreover, among natural fibres, silk is known for being particularly sensible to specific environmental factors common in museums and historic sites. Namely, its sensitivity to light, both visible [20] and UV [21,22], has been heavily studied: photo-oxidation processes, triggered by the presence of aromatic amino acids in the fibres such as tyrosine and tryptophan, can lead to yellowing and embrittlement [23]. On the other hand, the roles of other environmental factors such as relative humidity (RH) and temperature (T), possibly responsible for thermo-oxidation and hydrolysis processes, are less researched and more debated [24][25][26][27].…”

A new method for the conservation of ancient colored paintings on ramie textiles

“…The raw materials that have been used for textiles include cotton, ma, silk, wool, goat hair, and so on. Previous reports mainly focus on the degradation and ageing of linen, wool and silk textiles [2][3][4][5], the preservation environment of archaeological textiles [6,7], the analysis and identi cation of textile components [8][9][10][11][12][13], the fungal contamination and splicing technology of textile objects [14,15]. After the rst conference on textile conservation held by IIC in The Netherlands in 1964 [16], certain textile conservation methods have been developed, including disinfecting of textile objects [17], cleaning [18], mounting [19], and stitching techniques [20].…”