Endrei Walter szerk.: Textilipari Múzeum Évkönyve 8. 1995 (Budapest, 1995)

dr. Márta Járó: Manufacturing technique of gold threads and their imitations on museum textiles - chronology of the preparation of metal threads. Results of the scientific investigations

Fig. 6 a Metal thread found in an excavation, probably from the 18th century b variation of the concentration of copper and zinc in the cross section of the metal thread So it is very important to decide, whether the zinc detected on the surface of the strip or wire is present in the same concentration on the whole crosssection (brass or tombak), or is present only on the surface (cementated copper, or copper plated with a copper-zinc alloy). The chronology of metal thread making modified on basis of contemporary sources and on basis of the results of scientific investigations On basis of the contemporary written documents, resp. of the results of scientific investigations, the flat strip cut of gold-foil can be regarded as the most ancient type of metal threads. Its cylindrical version, the gold strip wound around a fibrous core came into use around the 3rd century B.C. and was applied in Europe probably until the 4th century A.D. In the early Middle Ages the flat gold strip appears again. It is then completely replaced again by the gold strip wound around a fibrous core at the 8-9th century. Around the first millenium, probably not only short, small strips, but also strips cut of longer gold-foil bands, eventually hammered, drawn and then stretched gold wire were used to prepare metal threads. From the times after the 13th-14th century, no strips prepared of pure gold or gold alloy are known. Threads made of gilt silver, i. e. of gold-plated silver strips appeared in Europe - parallel with that made of gold strips - already before the first millenium. According to my assumption, up to the middle of the 15th century only strips cut of silver foils plated with gold on one side were used. The new method, i.e. the flattening of gilt silver wire to a strip appeared according to the results of investigations carried out up to now - in the 15th century in Europe. In the 16th century probably both varieties had been used, then in the 17th century the new technique gained ground. Naturally,