Műtárgyvédelem, 2011 (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum)
Járó Márta - Tóth Attila: A "nyugati- és keleti-típusú" arany- és ezüstfonalak : a két fonaltípus "találkozása" egy soproni sírlelet textíliáin
Járó Márta — Tóth Attila * A „nyugati- és keleti-típusú” arany- és ezüstfonalak ‘Western-type’ and ‘Oriental-type’ Gold and Silver Thread. The combined use of different types of metal thread in textiles found in Sopron Márta Járó -Attila Tóth Scientific examination of 21 silver-gilt and silver thread samples taken from different textile fragments from a female burial in the Benedictine Church in Sopron (western Hungary) in 2010 was carried out recently. The samples were dated to the late 16th century/early 17th century. In connection with the evaluation of the results of the investigation, an attempt was made to characterise the metal thread ‘assortment’from this period, and to compare threads produced in Europe with those made in the Ottoman Empire. Fabrics dated to the 16th and 17th centuries were studied. For the first time, not only were the results of analyses considered along with contemporary descriptions of production techniques (these analyses and descriptions are unfortunately rare), but also data given in various catalogues and other publications. These data helped mainly in the morphological categorisation of the threads (wire, flat strip, filament thread). A survey of the data for approximately 370 metal threads in more than 290 pieces of fabric revealed interesting concordances and differences in manufacturing technique, as well as in the occurrence of the different types of thread in the textiles. In both Europe and the Ottoman Empire, makers of metal thread knew how to draw extremely thin silver and silver-gilt wire for use in textiles, and they had the equipment to flatten it into narrow strips. However, these wires and flat strips were used for weaving only in Europe, according to our present knowledge. Ottoman weavers preferred to work with filament threads made from flattened silver-gilt strips (gilded on both sides) or silver strips; we call these ‘Oriental-type’ threads. European weavers also used filament threads, in addition to wire and flat strips, but these filament threads were made with strips cut from silver-gilt foil (gilded on one side only) or silver foil. The ‘Western-type’ threads were, as far as we know, in use by about the late 16th century, remaining so until the first decades of the 17th century, when makers of metal thread in Europe probably adopted the Oriental technique. There are a number of historical textile pieces where ‘Western-type’ and ‘Oriental-type’ metal threads are present together. The cape and an embroidery fragment from the Sopron burial can be placed among them. These findings support the art- historical dating of the archaeological textiles in question. 55
