| Egyptian Journal of Archeological and Restoration Studies

Authors:
Ahmed, H.
Lecturer Conservation dept., Faculty of Archeology, Cairo University, Egypt

Abstract:
A rare Islamic textile decorated with two types of metallic yarns date back to 1327 Hijri. This object is from the textiles collection of Sheikh Yusuf Jameel museum in Saudi Arabia. These collections are housed in uncontrolled storage, in terms of variation and fluctuation humidity, temperature and air pollution throughout the year. These storage conditions have had a passive effect on the metallic and natural yarns causing damage. The nature of the surface metals and the nature of the corrosion products were studied by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (SEM/EDS). A close examination of the textile was followed by various analyses in order to develop a plan for conservation treatment. This research shows the practical strategies which have to be followed in maintaining and conserving textiles in uncontrolled storage. The effects of cleaning materials on the natural dyes were tested, including different types of solvents used to remove the corrosion layer on the metallic yarns. The process of maintenance and restoration has been recorded beginning with the historical record of the textile to the present cleaning process. A new mounting system for display as in Sheikh Yusuf Jameel museum is described.

Keywords:
metallic yarns; Corrosion; Cleaning; SEM; Natural dyes; Mounting

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