Resumen
This project proposes an interdisciplinary approach to the materiality of medieval seal textile wrappings and bags, through the collaboration between conservation scientists, archival records specialists, textile experts, and art historians. The project’s goals are: - To characterise and record the materiality of a selection of medieval seal bags preserved at The National Archives (TNA), London Metropolitan Archives (LMA) and the British Library (BL). The fabrics, dyes and metal threads of the bags will be investigated by the heritage scientist using non-invasive scientific techniques, such as visible and UV portable microscopes, Multispectal imaging (MSI), Fibre Optic Reflectance Spectroscopy in the Visible and Near Infrared (VIS-NIR FORS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), portable X-Ray fluorescence (pXRF). In depth dye analysis on a selection of five thread samples (3-4 mm) will be done by HPLC-DAD. The textile experts and art historians will support the interpretation of the scientific results, addressing questions about geographical origin and workshop, articulation of prestige, cultures of reuse and aesthetic and haptic experiences.-To establish a possible chronology of a selection of seal bags from TNA collection for each charter, determining the moments in which wrappings were attached to the sealed document. This includes the dating of the threads with which the textiles were sewn or tied to the document, through connoisseur examination and isotope analysis, as well as a careful reading of the documents’ dorsal notes by medievalists.-To rethink the material culture of documents in terms of their aesthetic features. Some wrappings seem purposely chosen to match the seal cords, thus visually highlighting the importance of the document and establishing a dialogue with the viewer by deliberately concealing/revealing the seal. Here, art historians will collaborate with textile experts with knowledge of weaving techniques, materials, and colour.-To evaluate the condition and risks for the conservation of the seal bags, by means of high-resolution multispectral imaging, microscopic examination, assessment of the vulnerability of the materials identified and micro-fading testing.
Palabras clave
Medieval textiles. Seal bags. Dye analysis. Spectrocopy. HPLC.
Colabora
Instituto de Historia, Centro de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales
The National Archives