The Identification and Characterization of Metal Wrappings in Historic Textiles Using Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry: Problems Associated with Identification and Characterization

Abstract

Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) has been employed for the description of metal wrapped yarns. Although considerable detail is obtainable as microphotographs, and elemental analysis is obtained with ease, caution should be exercised in interpreting results. Several unravelled samples should be examined; light microscopy should be employed prior to SEM-EDS analysis. Examination of eight specimens (six from the textile collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; two from private collections) is described. The samples were Chinese (5), German (1), Spanish (1), Turkish (1). Difficulties encountered in describing this set of samples are enumerated