Investigation, Revival and Optimisation of Traditional Mediterranean Colouring Technology for the Conservation of the Cultural Heritage

01.01.2006 - 31.12.2008

Research funding project

Colouring or painting with natural dyeing materials has been fundamental in art and intrinsic to the cultural identity of the Mediterranean area, since antiquity. However, since mid 19th century synthetic substances almost entirely expelled natural dyes from the market. The reconstruction and revival of traditional manufacturing processes for natural colorants, as well as of dyeing procedures or painting techniques is essential for the preservation of the Mediterranean cultural heritage. Rationally produced natural dyes can be used for artworks and folk applied art crafts, and this can also invest to the creation of new jobs, introducing a social-economic impact on the quality of human life. Furthermore, developing environmentally more acceptable products is a positive action towards the ecosystem. The proposal implies several coordinated activities, such as: (i) Analytical study of representative artworks/artefacts as far as the identification of the organic colouring materials, and the technology of their application is concerned. (ii) Practical revival/approbation of reconstructed application techniques/technologies of the dyes and derived organic pigments on several substrates, e.g. textile, paper and paintings, for the creation of artefacts according to ancient recipes. (iii) Optimisation of the application techniques through the investigation of interrelation between application physicochemical conditions and final result in terms of colour hue, strength and fastness. (iv) Synthesis and production of major colouring components, utilized as standards for dyestuff identification, at a molecular level. (v) Dissemination of the newly produced materials (pigments and standards). (vi) Recommendations for conservation strategies, based on the analytical results. (vii) Creation of a database for standard dyeing protocols with corresponding references to the relevant ancient recipes.

People

Project leader

Leopold Puchinger (E166)

Institute

E166 - Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering

Grant funds

European Commission (EU) 6.FP: INCO - Specific measures in support of international cooperation action 6.Rahmenprogramm für Forschung European Commission - Framework Programme European Commission Call identifier FP6-2003-INCO-MPC-2 Application number 015406

Research focus

Beyond TUW-research focus: 100%

Keywords

German	English
Pyrolyse Gaschromatographie	Pyrolysis gas chromatography
Traditionelle Färbetechniken	Traditional dyeing processes
Wiederbelebung historischer Farbstoffe	Historical colorants reconstruction
Textilien, Papier, Gemälde	Textile, paper, paintings
Natürliche organische Farbstoffe und Pigmente	Natural organic dyes and pigments
Farbton, Haltbarkeit, Farbechtheit	Colour hue, -strength and -fastness

External partner

Marmara University, Faculty of Fine Arts
Yarmouk University-Faculty of Archaeology and Anthropology
Kremer Pigmente GmbH & Co. KG
Université sidi Mohamed benAbdellah, Ecole Supérieure de Technologie
University of Jordan, department of Chemistry
Institut für Angewandte Synthesechemie
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Sacred Convent of the Annunciation - IMSP

Publications

Publications