TEXTILES: MATERIAL AND IMAGE
A summary of the course
Objectives
- To be able to recognize the technical characteristics of the different weaves;
- To recognize the materials of which the textiles are made;
- To be able to make observations on the technique of ancient textiles and on their materials;
- To organize documentation by filling out the analysis report of the textiles
Description
The course is addressed to conservators, curators and conservation scientists who want to study ancient textiles and to have the opportunity to know more about the topic in its dual aspect of technical analysis of the textile combined with the identification of the fibers through microscopical analysis.
The technical analysis of textiles will be conducted on textile samples through the use of a thread counter magnifier and a digital microscope.
The technical analysis will be integrated by notions on the history and critical fortune of ancient textiles, through the presentation of material testimonies and images from visual arts.
The identification of the fibers will be addressed at different levels, starting from sensory analyses up to the study of the morphological characteristics through the use of the optical and electronic microscope. For the artificial and synthetic fibers the use of infrared spectroscopy will be addressed. Potential and limitations of the different analytical techniques will be highlighted.
Course structure
Lecturers
Roberta Genta
Art historian and cultural heritage conservator specialized in textile artifacts. Since 2007 she is Head of the Textile Conservation Laboratory at Centro Conservazione e Restauro “La Venaria Reale”, where she combines conservation with research in projects concerning preventive conservation and maintenance in historical residences. In the last few years she has worked mainly on the conservation of archeological textiles, with particular reference to the ethical approach in the conservation of mummified human remains, developing protocols for handling in total safety. She writes scientific publications concerning the history of conservation and the dissemination of textile conservation methods at international level thanks to her participation in numerous congresses.
Anna Piccirillo
Anna Piccirillo earned her PhD in Chemical Sciences from the University of Turin, Italy (2004). She has been working as Conservation Scientist in the scientific laboratories at Centre for Conservation and Restoration “La Venaria Reale” since 2014, and her main activity is the characterization of artworks materials. In her professional activity, she focuses her research on ancient modern and contemporary materials and on their degradation products. She is well skilled in FTIR spectroscopy, XRF, SEM-EDX and optical microscopy. She is actively involved in some of the research projects promoted by CCR and co-author of scientific publications on scientific journals.