The role of fibre identification in textile conservation

Abstract

• Accurate identification of fibres is vital to textile conservators. Such knowledge, in conjunction with an understanding of the properties and usage of textile materials, will inform conservation, display and storage strategies. It may further help to annotate biographical detail concerning the origins of the textile and related history. Microscopy has traditionally afforded the principal means of identifying historic fibres, alongside simple chemical and physical tests. However, these latter techniques are destructive and can require relatively large samples, considerations which are particularly problematic when dealing with fragile and valuable cultural artefacts. Consequently, they are gradually being superseded by instrumental analytical methods which are noninvasive or require just microsamples, such as spectroscopy and chromatography, and advanced microscopic techniques often combined with sophisticated computational analysis. Potentially these approaches can reveal even more about the constituents and may offer clues as to their state of preservation. While the intricate construction and multimedia nature of artefacts often make these investigations particularly challenging, and aesthetic and ethical considerations add another complicating dimension, nonetheless successful material characterisation is essential to the well being and continued enjoyment of our textile heritage.