Textiles have been known to us throughout human history and played a vital role in the lives and traditions of people. Clothing was made by using different materials and methods from natural fibers. There are different varieties of textiles, out of which certain traditional textiles, archaeological findings, or fragments are of cultural, historical, and sentimental value such as tapestries, embroideries, flags,
shawls, etc. These kinds of textiles, due to their historical use and environmental factors, require special attention to guarantee their long-term stability. Textile conservation is a complex, challenging, and multi-faceted discipline and it is one of the most versatile branches of conservation.
Table of ContentsPreface
1. Textile Museums: Its Importance, Objectives and FunctionsVandana Gupta and Mangesh S. Manekar
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Museum Definition and Its Existence
1.3 Textile Museums and Their History
1.4 Importance of Textile Museums
1.4.1 Connective Value
1.4.2 Collective Value
1.4.3 Educative Value
1.4.4 Economic Value
1.5 Objectives of Textile Museum
1.6 Function of Textile Museum
1.7 Textile Museum and Their Future Prospects
1.8 Conclusion
References
2. Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage of the WorldRitu Pandey, Vandana Gupta, Pintu Pandit, Kumar Rohit and Suruchi Pandey
2.1 Introduction
2.1.1 Ancient Textiles of the World
2.2 Ancient Textiles of the World: Techniques and Historical Perspective
2.2.1 Ancient Heritage Textiles—Asia and Australia
2.2.1.1 Chinese Textiles
2.2.1.2 Japanese Textiles
2.2.1.3 Indian Textile
2.2.1.4 Turkish Textiles
2.2.1.5 Persian Rugs
2.2.2 African Textile
2.2.3 Scandinavian Textile Design
2.2.4 American Textiles
2.3 Role of Museum: Textile as a Part of Heritage and Culture
2.4 Marketing Strategies for Museums and Conservation
2.5 Conclusion
References
3. Important Woven Textile Specimens in World MuseumsKarthika Audinet
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Methodology
3.3 Prehistoric Textiles
3.3.1 Textile Specimen 1.3.1
3.3.2 Textile Specimen 1.3.2
3.3.3 Textile Specimen 1.3.3
3.3.4 Textile Specimen 1.3.4
3.3.5 Textile Specimen 1.3.5
3.3.6 Textile Specimen 1.3.6
3.4 Textiles from Peru
3.4.1 Textile Specimen 1.4.1
3.4.2 Textile Specimen 1.4.2
3.4.3 Textile Specimen 1.4.3
3.4.4 Textile Specimen 1.4.4
3.4.5 Textile Specimen 1.4.5
3.4.6 Textile Specimen 1.4.6
3.4.7 Textile Specimen 1.4.7
3.5 Chinese Textiles
3.5.1 Textile Specimen 1.5.1
3.5.2 Textile Specimen 1.5.2
3.5.3 Textile Specimen 1.5.3
3.5.4 Textile Specimen 1.5.4
3.5.5 Textile Specimen 1.5.5
3.5.6 Textile Specimen 1.5.6
3.5.7 Textile Specimen 1.5.7
3.6 Textiles from the Indian Subcontinent
3.6.1 Textile Specimen 1.6.1
3.6.2 Textile Specimen 1.6.2
3.6.3 Textile Specimen 1.6.3
3.6.4 Textile Specimen 1.6.4
3.6.5 Textile Specimen 1.6.5
3.6.6 Textile Specimen 1.6.6
3.6.7 Textile Specimen 1.6.7
3.7 Textiles from Sudan, Egypt, Mali, and Ghana (North and West African Textiles)
3.7.1 Textile Specimen 1.7.1
3.7.2 Textile Specimen 1.7.2
3.7.3 Textile Specimen 1.7.3
3.7.4 Textile Specimen 1.7.4
3.8 Textiles from Japan
3.8.1 Textile Specimen 1.8.1
3.8.2 Textile Specimen 1.8.2
3.8.3 Textile Specimen 1.8.3
3.8.4 Textile Specimen 1.8.4
3.8.5 Textile Specimen 1.8.5
3.8.6 Textile Specimen 1.8.6
3.9 Textiles from Iran and Central Asia
3.9.1 Textile Specimen 1.9.1
3.9.2 Textile Specimen 1.9.2
3.9.3 Textile Specimen 1.9.3
3.9.4 Textile Specimen 1.9.4
3.9.5 Textile Specimen 1.9.5
3.10 Textiles from Italy and France
3.10.1 Textile Specimen 1.10.1
3.10.2 Textile Specimen 1.10.2
3.10.3 Textile Specimen 1.10.3
3.10.4 Textile Specimen 1.10.4
3.11 Conclusion: Toward an Understanding of the Historic Foundations of Woven Structures
References
List of Museums
Glossary
4. Types of Conservation of Textiles in the Museum: Their Importance and ScopeK. B. Binita and B. Sunita
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Importance of Conservation
4.3 Principles of Conservation
4.3.1 Determining the Need and Laying the Foundation for Conservation
4.3.2 The Conservation Assessment and Process
4.3.3 Obtaining a Conservation Assessment
4.3.4 Selecting an Assessor or Conservator
4.3.5 The Assessment as a Planning Tool
4.3.6 Conservation Collection Condition Survey
4.3.7 Object Treatment
4.3.8 Risk Assessment and Management
4.4 Types of Textile Articles Conserved
4.5 Methods of Conservation
4.5.1 Preventive Conservation
4.5.1.1 Climate
4.5.1.2 Light
4.5.1.3 Insects
4.5.1.4 Microorganisms
4.5.1.5 Dust, Soil, and Other Contaminants
4.5.1.6 Disaster
4.5.2 Curative/Interventive Conservation
4.5.2.1 Surface Cleaning
4.5.2.2 Vacuuming
4.5.2.3 Wet Cleaning
4.5.2.4 Solvent or Dry Cleaning
4.5.2.5 Stabilization
4.6 Storage, Display, and Handling of Museum Textiles
4.7 Scope of Conservation
4.7.1 Education and Knowledge Dissemination
4.7.2 Lecture, Seminar, Workshops, and Research
4.7.3 Photography and Publication
4.8 New Approaches in Conservation
4.9 Conclusion
References
Webliography
5. Fashion and Textile Museums Across the GlobeArpana Kamboj and Surabhi Mahajan
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Victoria and Albert Museum, London
5.2.1 History
5.2.2 Collection
5.3 Fashion Museum, Bath, UK
5.3.1 History
5.3.2 Collection
5.4 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
5.4.1 History
5.4.2 Collection
5.5 Musée De La Mode Et Du Textile, France
5.5.1 History
5.5.2 Collection
5.6 Palais Galliera, France
5.6.1 History
5.6.2 Collection
5.6.2.1 Eighteenth Century Dress Office
5.6.2.2 Nineteenth Century Ensembles Division
5.6.2.3 Fashion of the Principal Half of 20th Century
5.6.2.4 Haute Couture
5.6.2.5 Contemporary Office
5.6.2.6 Extras Office
5.7 Kyoto Costume Institute, Japan
5.7.1 History
5.7.2 Collection
5.8 Museum of Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, USA
5.8.1 History
5.8.2 Collection
5.9 Museo Del Traje, Spain
5.9.1 History
5.9.2 Collection
5.10 Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, California
5.10.1 History
5.10.2 Collection
5.11 Kent State University Museum, USA
5.11.1 History
5.11.2 Collection
5.12 Conclusion
References
6. Documentation of Museum TextilesSimmi Bhagat and Radhana Raheja
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Functions of Documentation
6.3 Features of Documentation System
6.4 Collection Management Policy
6.5 Assessment Standards
6.5.1 Collection Assessment
6.5.2 Assessment of Objects
6.6 Types of Documentation
6.6.1 Written Description
6.6.2 Photographic Records
6.7 Formats of Documentation
6.7.1 Styles of Written Documentation
6.7.2 Manual and Digitized Documentation
6.8 Case Study
6.9 Conclusion
References
7. Ideal Storage Conditions for Museum TextilesSimmi Bhagat and Kanika Sachdeva
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Published Standards in Museum Storage
7.3 Storage Design and Architecture
7.3.1 Museum Storage Building and Space Allocation
7.3.2 Building Monitoring and Maintenance
7.4 Environmental Conditions
7.4.1 Temperature and Relative Humidity
7.4.2 Light
7.5 Storage Techniques
7.5.1 Accession and Labeling
7.5.2 Flat Storage
7.5.3 Rolled Storage
7.5.4 Hanging Storage
7.5.5 Special Storage
7.6 Safety Systems
7.6.1 Location, Structural, and Physical Protection
7.6.2 Perimeter Alarms
7.6.3 Invigilation
7.6.4 Key Security
7.7 Disaster Handling
7.7.1 Protecting from Fire
7.7.2 Protecting from Floods
7.7.3 Protecting from Pests
7.7.4 Day-to-Day Maintenance
7.8 Managing Dust and Dirt
7.9 Pollutants
7.10 Conclusion
References
8. Tools and Methods for Handling and Storage of Museum TextilesPratikhya Badanayak, Seiko Jose, Ragini Dubey and Ritu Pandey
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Care, Maintenance, and Handling of Museum Textiles
8.2.1 General Storage Factors
8.2.2 General Guideline in Handling
8.3 Ideal Conditions, Temperature, Humidity
8.4 Storage Units
8.5 Storage Materials
8.6 Tools Used in Maintenance of Museum Textiles
8.6.1 Equipping the Workspace
8.6.2 Housekeeping
8.6.2.1 Cleaning the Collection and Environment
8.6.2.2 Basic and Best Practices for Checking and Monitoring in Museum
8.6.3 Materials and Supplies
8.6.3.1 Handling
8.6.4 Packing and Unpacking
8.6.5 Moving
8.6.6 Rolling and Unrolling
8.7 Labeling
8.8 Cleaning
8.9 Dealing with Separations
8.10 Tools Used for Displaying Museum Textiles
8.10.1 Showcases and Galleries
8.10.2 Frames
8.10.3 Mannequins
8.10.4 Hangers
8.11 Handling During Transportation
8.11.1 By Road
8.11.2 By Rail
8.11.3 By Sea
8.11.4 By Air
8.12 Handling Techniques and Conservation Practices of Ancient Textiles in Museums
8.12.1 Egyptian Shroud
8.12.2 Jordanian Belt
8.12.3 Silk Textile
8.12.4 Coptic Tapestry
8.13 Conclusions
References
9. Roles and Responsibilities of Museum ProfessionalsKanika Sachdeva
9.1 Introduction
9.2 History of Museums Professionals Training in India
9.3 Roles in a Textile Museum
9.3.1 Conservator
9.3.2 Conservation Scientist
9.3.3 Curator
9.3.4 Collections Manager
9.3.5 Registrar/Documentalist
9.3.6 Historian
9.3.7 Exhibition Coordinator/Designer
9.3.8 Museum Education Officer
9.3.9 Photographer
9.3.10 Information Technologist
9.3.11 Health and Safety Officer
9.3.12 Security Officer
9.4 Conclusion
References
10. Ancient Weaving and Dyeing TechniquesHannah Dewey, Meghan Lord, Seonyoung Youn, Januka Budhathoki-Uprety and Kavita Mathur
10.1 Introduction to Weaving
10.2 Ancient Weaving by Geographical Region
10.2.1 In the Middle East and Central Eurasia
10.2.2 In Egypt
10.2.3 In Greece, Italy, and Romania
10.2.4 In India
10.2.5 In Southeast Asia and China
10.2.6 In The Americas
10.3 Conclusion on Weaving Techniques
10.4 Introduction to Dyes and Dyeing Technologies
10.5 Ancient Dyes, Pigments, and Dyeing Technologies
10.5.1 Indigoids (Indigo and Tyrian Purple)
10.5.2 Quinonoids (Madder)
10.5.3 Carotenoids (Saffron)
10.5.4 Flavonoids
10.5.5 Dihydropyran (Brazilwood and Logwood)
10.5.6 Tannins
10.6 Conclusion
References
11. Armours: Ancient Metallic TextilesRitu Pandey, Ragini Dubey, Pintu Pandit, Suruchi Pandey, Mukesh Kumar Sinha and Amarish Dubey
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Parts of Armour and Accessories
11.2.1 Helmet
11.2.2 Coif
11.2.3 Ventail
11.2.4 Mail
11.2.5 Hauberk
11.2.6 Gauntlet and Pauldron
11.2.7 Sabatons and Greaves
11.3 Armour Designs
11.4 Armour Materials
11.5 Metallic Costume of King Tutankhamen
11.6 Conclusion
References
12. Textile Conservation in India: A Case SeriesDeepshikha Kalsi, Elizabeth-Anne Haldane and Lynda Hillyer
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Internship Training in Textile Conservation at the V&A
12.2.1 Condition Assessment
12.2.2 Case Study: Conservation of a Painted and Dyed Cotton Chintz Appliqué Panel
12.2.3 Condition Assessment
12.2.4 Conservation Treatment and Mounting
12.3 Setting Up a Textile Conservation Studio in India
12.4 Conservation of an 19th Century Jama
12.5 Case Study—Conservation of a Military Frock Coat
12.5.1 Historical Context
12.5.2 Documentation of Construction and Condition Assessment
12.5.3 Conservation Treatment
12.5.4 Customizing the Mannequin Mount
12.6 Developing Display and Mounting Solutions for Flat Textiles and Costumes for the Special Exhibition PRA-KASHI Silk, Gold and Silver from the City of Lights at the National Museum, New Delhi
12.7 Technical Analysis and Documentation
12.8 Training and Outreach
12.8.1 Case Study—Indian Museum, Kolkata
12.8.2 Case Study—The Registry of Sarees, Bangalore
12.9 Conclusion
Acknowledgments
References
13. Symbolism and Conservation of Indigenous African Textiles for MuseumsRaphael Kanyire Seidu, Ebenezer Kofi Howard, Edward Apau and Benjamin Eghan
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Types of Indigenous African Textiles
13.2.1 African Weave Traditions
13.2.1.1 Smock Weaves/Fugu
13.2.1.2 Aso-Oke
13.2.1.3 Kente
13.2.1.4 Kete
13.2.1.5 Akwete
13.2.1.6 Berber Cloth
13.2.1.7 Shuka Cloth
13.2.1.8 Kuba Raffia Cloth
13.2.2 African Dye Traditions
13.2.2.1 Adire
13.2.2.2 Ukara
13.2.2.3 Mud Cloth
13.2.3 African Print Traditions
13.2.3.1 Adinkra Cloth
13.2.3.2 Kanga Cloth
13.2.3.3 Shweshwe
13.2.3.4 Ankara or African Wax Prints (West Africa) or Kitenge (East Africa)
13.2.4 Other African Traditions
13.2.4.1 Bark Cloth
13.2.4.2 Fon Appliqué Cloth
13.3 Indigenous African Textiles Techniques
13.4 Museums in African
13.4.1 Challenges of Museums in Africa
13.4.2 Contribution of Technology for African Museums
13.5 Conclusion
References
Appendix (Figure sources)
14. Conservation of Textile Immemorial: The Fading Past of Uttarakhand MuseumsPooja Singh and Alka Goel
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Materials and Methods
14.2.1 Selection of Locale
14.2.2 Tool Preparation and Data Collection
14.2.3 Data Collection
14.2.4 Statistical Analysis of the Data
14.2.4.1 Weighted Mean Score
14.3 Results and Discussion
14.3.1 General Information About the Museums
14.3.1.1 The Number of People Who Work at the Museums that Have Been Chosen
14.3.1.2 Conservation Laboratories
14.3.1.3 Acquisition of Textile Antiquities
12.3.1.4 Ageing of Textile Articles Placed in Different Museums
14.3.1.5 Air Circulation Facilities in Museums
14.3.1.6 Protective Measures Used to Protect the Windows/Ventilators From Sunlight and Dust
14.3.1.7 Methods Used for Identification of Fibers
14.3.1.8 The Details of Temperature and Relative Humidity Ranges in a Variety of Museums
14.3.2 Types of Display Techniques Used for Textile Antiquities
14.3.2.1 Labeling Methods Carried Out for the Displayed Artifacts
14.3.3 Storage Equipments Used in Selected Museums
14.3.4 The Collection of Textile Artifacts Collections in Various Museums of Uttarakhand
14.3.4.1 Details of Stored Textile Materials
14.3.4.2 Govind Ballabh Pant Museum, Almora
14.3.4.3 Tribal Museum, Munsyari
14.3.4.4 Kumaon Regiment Museum, Ranikhet
14.3.4.5 Lok Sangrah, Folk Culture Museum, Bhimtal
14.3.4.6 Jim Corbett Museum
14.3.4.7 Gurney House Museum, Nainital
14.3.5 Various Methods of Prevention Used in Various Selected Museums
14.3.5.1 Covering Materials Used for Various Artifacts Displayed in Selected Museums
14.3.5.2 Special Kind of Lighting System in the Museum to Protect the Textiles/Garments From Fading/Ageing
14.3.5.3 Touching on Museum Antiquities
14.3.6 Conservation Techniques Used in the Museum
14.3.6.1 Pretreatments Given to Textile Antiquities and Display Boards
14.3.6.2 Methods of Reinforcing the Deteriorated Textile Antiquities
14.3.6.3 Backing Material Used in Conservation of Museum Textiles
14.4 Conclusion
References
15. The Conservation and Display of Indian Textiles at the Victoria and Albert MuseumElizabeth-Anne Haldane, Lynda Hillyer and Deepshikha Kalsi
15.1 Introduction to the V&A and the Indian Textile Collections
15.2 Care of Collections
15.3 Conservation
15.3.1 Principles of Conservation
15.3.2 Assessing Condition, Causes of Deterioration
15.3.3 Preventive Conservation
15.3.4 Understanding the Object—Context and Scientific Investigation
15.4 Object Treatment
15.4.1 Object Treatment—Cleaning
15.4.2 Surface Cleaning and Humidification
15.4.3 Wet Cleaning
15.4.4 Solvent Cleaning
15.4.5 Stabilization and Support
15.5 Display
15.6 Conclusion
Acknowledgments
References
16. Between Science and Art: Activities of the Natural Dyeing LaboratoryKatarzyna Schmidt-Przewoźna
16.1 Introduction
16.2 Promotion of Antique Dyes, Pigments, and Prints
16.2.1 Projects
16.2.2 Workshop and Exhibitions
16.2.3 Color Catalog of Ancient Dye and Its Reproduction
16.2.4 Reconstruction of Ancient Dyeing Techniques
16.3 Analysis of Antique Polish Kontush Sash Dyeing Material: A Case Study
16.4 Conclusion
Acknowledgment
References
17. Visitor Interactions and Museum TextilesKanika Sachdeva and Divya Singhal Gupta
17.1 Introduction
17.2 Textile Exhibitions—Challenges in Display
17.2.1 Display Method
17.2.1.1 Open Display or Display Cases
17.2.1.2 Display Design
17.2.1.3 Points to be Considered While Planning a Textile Display
17.2.1.4 Level of Interaction Between the Visitors and the Objects on Display
17.2.2 Display Lighting
17.2.2.1 Hacks for Appropriate Lighting of Textile Exhibitions in Museums
17.3 Exhibition Protocols Followed by the Museum
17.3.1 Safety Guidelines—Visitor Safety, Conduct and Access
17.3.2 Safety of Museum Artifacts
17.3.3 Let Us Look at Some Examples of the Protocols Followed by the Museums and the Changes that Have Taken Place After the Pandemic
17.4 Photography and Memorabilia
17.5 Access Guidelines for Museum Storage
17.6 An Ideal Textile Exhibition
17.6.1 Case Study 1
17.6.2 Case Study 2
17.7 Conclusion
References
18. Educational Value of Clothing and Textile MuseumsSara Marcketti and Jennifer Gordon
18.1 Introduction
18.2 Importance of Conservation in Textiles and Clothing Collections
18.3 Frameworks for Material Culture Analysis in the Learning Process
18.4 The Value of Collections to Students’ Education
18.4.1 The Collection at Iowa State University
18.5 Taxonomy of Significant Learning and Collections
18.5.1 Foundational Knowledge
18.5.2 Application
18.5.3 Integration
18.5.4 Human Dimensions
18.5.5 Caring
18.5.6 Learning How to Learn
18.6 Conclusion
References
19. Career in Textile MuseumMaanasaa Sethuraman, Suruchi Pandey and Ritu Pandey
19.1 Introduction
19.2 Sources of Textile Museum Collections
19.3 Scope of Careers in Textile Museum
19.3.1 Job Opportunities
19.3.1.1 Public Sector
19.3.1.2 Private Sector
19.3.1.3 Opportunities Offshores
19.3.2 Changing Hiring Trends
19.3.2.1 Work-Life Balance in Careers in Museum Textile
19.3.2.2 Job Description
19.4 Glimpses of Work in Progress on Museum Textile
19.5 Sourcing for Talent at Textile Museums
19.5.1 Private Job Sites
19.5.2 Museum Websites
19.5.3 Consultant Hiring
19.5.4 Social Media
19.5.5 Newspaper Advertisement
19.5.6 Word of Mouth
19.5.7 Campus Hiring
19.6 Educational Opportunities
19.6.1 School or Pre-University Level
19.6.2 University Level (Under Graduation)
19.6.3 Postgraduation
19.7 Sample Organization Structure
19.8 Limitations and Challenges in the Field of Textile Museum
19.9 Conclusion
Acknowledgment
References
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