Authenticating Turkey Red Textiles through Material Investigations by FTIR and UHPLC

Wertz, J. H. , Quye, A. , France, D. , Tang, P. L. and Richmond, L. (2017) Authenticating Turkey Red Textiles through Material Investigations by FTIR and UHPLC. In: ICOM-CC 18th Triennial Meeting, Copenhagen, Denmark, 4-8 Sept 2017,

Abstract

Nineteenth-century Turkey red, a cotton textile dyed by a peculiar and unique process, is found in many collections around the world. It was known for its bright colour and remarkable fastness to light exposure and washing. Light fading is a significant concern in the display of historical textiles, and understanding more about the properties of these objects may increase the accessibility of collections. This research explored the identification of historical Turkey red through non-invasive Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to detect the presence of oil – a necessary step in the process – on the fibres. Around 1869, Turkey red dyers began to transition from using madder and garancine to synthetic alizarin, which was investigated through ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC). The chemical profiles of 19th-century samples and references of known dye source were used to predict whether Turkey red of unknown date was dyed with natural or synthetic dye.

• Item Type: Conference Proceedings
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: France, Dr David and Quye, Professor Anita and Richmond, Ms Lesley and Wertz, Julie
• Authors: Wertz, J. H., Quye, A., France, D., Tang, P. L., and Richmond, L.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > History of Art; College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Information Studies; College of Science and Engineering > School of Chemistry
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 ICOM-CC
• First Published: First published in ICOM-CC 18th Triennial Meeting
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced with the permission of the publisher.

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