View source for CNSM 1858, Small Dragon Robe, China (Qing Dynasty, 1644-1911 CE)

== Artifact Information ==

Small Dragon Robe, China (Qing Dynasty, 1644-1911 CE).
Height: 94 cm
Width: 136 cm 

Exisiting dragon robes are far from rare. This one however, really is, due to its small size.
The dragon motifs are exquisitely worked on a yellow silk ground with gold couching technique while polychrome silk threads are used for clouds, bats and flowers. The most plausible explanation for a dragon robe of this size is that it is tailored specially to fit a child emperor. (depicted by Yan Xue, translated by Huiwei Shen).


China National Silk Museum, Hangzhou, China. #1858.

[[File:CNSM 1858 pic1.jpg|center|frame|Image of the small Dragon Robe.  © China National Silk Museum, Hangzhou, China ]]
[[File:CNSM 1858 pic2.png|center|frame|Sampling of colored threads.  © China National Silk Museum, Hangzhou, China ]]

== Analytical instrumentation and procedures ==

The dye was extracted from a thread (0.2-1mg) of the archaeological object in a solution of pyridine/water/1.0M oxalic acid as described by Mouri and Laursen [1]. The solution was evaporated to dryness under a nitrogen flow, and redissolved in 50 μL MeOH/H2O (1/1); subsequently, 20 μL of dye solution was injected onto HPLC column.


An extract was analyzed on an HPLC-PDA-MS system consisting of a Shimadzu LC-20A high performance liquid chromatography, a Shimadzu SPD-M20A photodiode array detector and a Thermo LTQ XL ion trap mass spectrometer. The separation was performed on a Shim-pack XR-ODS column (3.0 mm × 75 mm, 2.2-μm particle size) and a Phenomenex Luna C18 column (2.0 mm × 150 mm, 3-μm particle size). Columns were eluted with acetonitrile-water gradients containing 0.1% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min.


== Summary of results ==

HPLC-MS analysis shows several common dyes were used to dye the Qing dynasty object. Bright yellow threads (part A) were dyed with [http://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Pagoda_tree_(Styphnolobium_japonicum)_LC pagoda tree buds] due to the fact that a big peak corresponding to rutin is seen in HPLC profile of the yellow dye. [http://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Safflower_(Carthamus_tinctorius)_LC Safflower] was identified in red threads (part B), along with [http://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Chinese_cork_tree_(Phellodendron_chinense)_LC ''Phellodendron spp''], which is in good agreement with a dyeing recipe recorded in Tian Gong Kai Wu (Explotation of the Works of Nature, written by Song Yingxin in 1637). Indigo can be used not only to produce a blue color (part C), but also to produce various green colors by overdyeing with pagoda tree buds (part E) or Phellodendron spp.,(part F) Purple threads (part D) were dyed with a mixture of sappanwood and indigo.

== HPLC profile ==

[[File:CNSM 1858 A.JPG|center|frame| Sample A Absorbance at 350nm (mAU) By Jian Liu, China National Silk Museum, Hangzhou]]
[[File:CNSM 1858 B.JPG|center|frame| Sample B Absorbance at 500nm (mAU) By Jian Liu, China National Silk Museum, Hangzhou]]
[[File:CNSM 1858 C.JPG|center|frame| Sample C Absorbance at 600nm (mAU) By Jian Liu, China National Silk Museum, Hangzhou]]
[[File:CNSM1858 D.JPG|center|frame| Sample D Absorbance at 350nm (mAU) By Jian Liu, China National Silk Museum, Hangzhou]]
[[File:CNSM1858 E.JPG|center|frame| Sample E Absorbance at 350nm (mAU) By Jian Liu, China National Silk Museum, Hangzhou]]
[[File:CNSM 1858 F.JPG|center|frame| Sample F Absorbance at 350nm (mAU) By Jian Liu, China National Silk Museum, Hangzhou]]


[[File:CNSM 1858 compounds.JPG|center|frame| CNSM 1858 Possible compounds identified By Jian Liu, China National Silk Museum, Hangzhou]]

== References ==

[1] Mouri C, Laursen R. Identification and partial characterization of C-glycosylfalvone markers in Asian plant dyes using liquid chromatogrphy tandem mass spectrometery. Journal of Chromatography A 2011; 1218: 7325-30.



[[Category:Dye Analysis]]
[[Category:Cultural Artifacts]]
[[Category:Textiles]]