Historical Re-creation of 19th c. Turkey Red [Oral Presentation]

Shahid, M. and Quye, A. (2017) Historical Re-creation of 19th c. Turkey Red [Oral Presentation]. Chemical Reconstruction Workshop, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, 13 Dec 2017. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Turkey red (TR) textiles, bright red cotton produced through a complex multi-step process highly admired for its brilliancy and superior colourfastness, were major economic commodities in 19th c Scotland. A unique illustration of 19th c. dyeing technology and chemical complexity, the TR dyeing process has remained mysterious throughout. TR is built on cotton through a series of treatments using oil, alum, dung, blood, tannins, anthraquinone dyes and variety of other stuffs. The process was complex, repetitive and expensive; however, the product enjoyed huge commercial success in 19th c. Samples of these highly durable textiles can be seen in many collections across UK. LightFasTR project at the University of Glasgow is now unfurling the secret threads of mysterious TR production methods and creating light exposure guidelines to inform the sustainable display and access for 19th c TR collections in museums and archives. Interpreting the chemical aspects of TR is essential to understand how materials, maker and methods influences its light-fastness. The key ingredients and steps for the Turkey red process are identified through review of published Turkey red methods and records in UK archives and museums. This presentation is about my observations on historical journey of Turkey red and re-creation the complex dyeing process based on historical information combined with modern chemistry knowledge.

Item Type:Conference or Workshop Item
Status:Unpublished
Refereed:No
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Quye, Professor Anita and Shahid, Dr Mohammad
Authors: Shahid, M., and Quye, A.
College/School:College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > History of Art

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Project CodeAward NoProject NamePrincipal InvestigatorFunder's NameFunder RefLead Dept
682601LightFasTRAnita QuyeEuropean Commission (EC)708740CCA - HISTORY OF ART