MFA 35.1968, Fragment of silk, Japan (9th or 10th century)

Artifact Information

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 35.1968. 17.4 x 22.5 cm (6 7/8 x 8 7/8 in.) (Gift of Yamanaka & Co.).

Textile fragment with design of floral motifs and latticework in yellow supplementary weft patterning on a yellow twill-weave silk ground. [1].

Fragment of silk. The samples were collected by textile curator Masumi Kataoka in 2010 © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Summary of results

Three threads were collected for dye analysis, analyzed by prof. R. Laursen at Boston University

Two golden yellow and one blue samples were analyzed. Berberine and other alkanoids were identified. The dyeing source was a protoberberine type, probably amur cork tree.

References

[1] https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/fragment-of-silk-65626