Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 27. (Budapest, 2009)
Katalin E. NAGY - Ádám BÍRÓ - Ádám BOLLÓK - László KÖLTŐ Péter LANGÓ - Attila Antal TÜRK: Byzantine Silk Fragments from a Tenth-century Grave at Fonyód
out at a width of 0.5 cm (fig. 7.1). The four cut pieces have six cut edges (fig. 5.2). The edges of the fabric assembled from four parts were folded back and stitched together in the same way as the first cut edge. Since the textile pieces were unearthed front under the lumbar vertebrae (L2-L5) of the spine 1 3 (figs 1.3-4), the textile was probably the side part of the garment below the waist. On account of the fact that beside the silk fabric separated from the vertebrae there was no other textile of a different material and weave, nor were there any leather remnants found, what we have here is probably a garment made wholly of silk, and not only silk fragments sewn onto different parts of a linen dress. State of preservation In the years following the excavation, the creased cloth - stuck to the four vertebrae soiled with earth - dried out more. The undone silk cloth remnants hardened and became brittle. The wetting during the exploration was sufficient to soften the textile enough for certain surfaces to be smoothed out, but areas were left with superimposed layers of cloth, due to the fact that the removal of the upper layer would have destroyed the layer below. When it became obvious that we would have the chance to process a relatively large cut fragment, we set as our aim to accurately observe and document the tailored and sewn surfaces. Consequently, we performed the repeated wetting conscious of the fact that after the examination the smoothed-out fabric would become extremely brittle when it dried out. This phenomenon is caused by humidity that greatly influences the properties of textiles. Part of the moisture is bound in the gaps of the textile mechanically. This type of moisture can be extracted mechanically. Capillary moisture in the fine capillary system of the elementary fibres cannot be entirely removed mechanically. The removal of the hygroscopic or balancing moisture - bound by subsidiary valence forces in the intermicellary cavities of the fibre damages the textile. The greatest problem of textiles brought to light from under the ground is the loss of hygroscopic moisture content, which cannot be replaced latterly. With the help of wetting capillary moisture lost over the ages can be restored between the fibres, which results in the temporary softening of the cloth but after drying it loses moisture again. Such a textile will become hard and brittle, because it is impossible to soften by introducing hygroscopic material between the fibres stuck together. 1 4 Such textiles must be stored and exhibited in a way that they are protected from light, the fluctuation of relative humidity and mechanical damage caused by moving. Accordingly, a box was made of acid-free cardboard, inside of which the Fonyód fragments were placed (without sewing) on a cotton-covered, removable plate. The object on the covered plate can be lifted out and exhibited any time without it being touched. In an exhibition it is protected by the closed climatic conditions ot an appropriate showcase in which it must be displayed (fig. 5.1). Description of the silk fragments As mentioned in the introduction to the process of restoration, four pieces of silk cloth once sewn together and a piece of silk yarn were recovered after the smoothing out of the crumpled finds (figs 5.1,7.2). Fragment 1 Only one of the edges of the largest unfolded fragment is undamaged (the sewn edge), the other three being frilled (fig.6). 24
