PEM E80968 Dragon robe, China (19th century)

Artifact Information

Pale yellow Chinese embroidered silk shawl. Early to mid-19th century. Imported from Guangzhou, China. Chinese crepe shawls such as this, with a ground of "bird-of-Paradise yellow" or "stem yellow" on which cordons of flowers are embroidered are mentioned in 1828 in the Ladies' Monthly Museum of London as "elegant novelties in fashion"[1].

The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA USA. E49250.

Image of the embroidered Chinese silk shawl.

Summary of results

The major components of the plant are protoberberine alkaloids: palmatine and jatrorrhzine. No berberine was detected. The dyeing source was probably huangteng.

HPLC profile

Absorbance at 350nm (mAU)

Identified compounds

palmatine UV-Vis

jatrorrhizine UV-Vis

Compound	RT (min.)	MW	UV/vis	Other
palmatine	37.1	351	348,428	major component
jatrorrhizine	34.4	337	348,428

References

[1] Worth, S.(1986) "Embroidered China crepe shawls: 1816-1863; Dress 12:43-54.