Difference between revisions of "V&A T.184-1948, Embroidery on gauze-banded plain weave silk robe, China (late 17th century-18th century)"

Revision as of 08:58, 4 August 2017

Artifact Information

The robe is made of gauze-banded plain weave silk with embroidery. This robe is a woman's garment that may be the earliest non-ecclesiastical Chinese garment in the Museum. The grand is a rich red silk that has horizontal bands of fruiting pomegranates (symbolizing a woman with many kids) in gauze weave running across the fabric at widely spaced intervals. Over this, there is shiny embroidered decoration of fruits, flowers, birds and mythical beasts [1].

Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK T.184-1948

Summary of results

Image of the embroidered suzani (back) and summary of dyeing sources identified. photo by R. Laursen

Multiple threads (equal or shorter than 0.5 cm) were removed from the back of the suzani. It was found that the pinkish red thread was dyed with cochineal, an orange sample was dyed with larkspur and madder, another orange sample with pagoda tree buds and madder. Yellow threads were dyed with pagoda tree buds and larkspur.

HPLC profile

Absorbance at 350nm (mAU), one yellow thread was probably dyed with pagoda tree buds analyzed by X. Zhang

Identified compounds

References

[1] Zhang, X. Laursen R. and Osipova S. (2005) "Analysis of dyes in some 19th-century Uzbek suzanis"; Dyes in History and Archaeology To be published.

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 == Artifact Information ==
-Suzanis are large, embroidered hangings or coverings that originated centuries ago in what is now Uzbekistan and neighboring parts of Central Asia. Typically they were sewn by village girls, using dyed silk threads, and became an important part of the girls’ marriage dowries. Most of the surviving
+The robe is made of gauze-banded plain weave silk with embroidery. This robe is a woman's garment that may be the earliest non-ecclesiastical Chinese garment in the Museum. The grand is a rich red silk that has horizontal bands of fruiting pomegranates (symbolizing a woman with many kids) in gauze weave running across the fabric at widely spaced intervals. Over this, there is shiny embroidered decoration of fruits, flowers, birds and mythical beasts [1].
-suzanis date to the late 18th and 19th century. the suzani with flower embroidery was thought to have been created in the mid-19th century[1].
-The Museum of Applied Arts, Samarkand, Uzbekistan: suzani (КП1276/3)
+Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK T.184-1948
-[[File:Suzani.PNG|center|frame|Image of the suzani. personal courtesy of R.A. Laursen]]
+[[File:T.184-1948.jpg|center|frame|© Victoria and Albert Museum, London]]
 == Summary of results ==