ARCHAEOMETRICAL STUDY OF A RARE EMBROIDERED AND APPLIQUED LEATHER TAPESTRY FROM THE SAFAVID ARTWORKS. PART I: WEAVING FIBERS AND DYES

Abstract

The present work introduces a laboratory multi-technique study for a unique heritage object from the
Persian Safavid art preserved in Egypt. This study is alleged to be the preliminary one of such heritage
embroidered and appliqued leather tapestry. The aim of the present study is to reveal the type(s) of fibers
and dyes used in crafting this rare artwork and the deterioration forms as well. The study used the Stereo
Microscope (SM), the Scanning Electron Microscope coupled with EDX unit (SEM-EDX), ATR-FTIR and the
MALDI-TOF MS. The object is composed of different layers; a textile substrate, a blank leather layer upon
the textile substrate, a blackish leather layer, pre-cut white leather patterns appliqued upon the blackish
layer using threads, the entire surface is embroidered with dyed threads. The obtained results revealed that
the textile substrate is a plain cotton. The embroidery threads are also cotton, dyed with natural indigo,
madder and Persian berries. Dyes' mordants were not verified, probably due to the high proportion of dust
and soiling matters. The object is suffering from many deterioration forms; namely drying, brittle fabric and
threads, faded dyes, lost threads and parts, stains in both the textile substrate and the embroidery threads,
and much amount of dust and soiling matters.