Handbook of Museum Textiles, Volume 1

Preface xix 1 Textile Museums: Its Importance, Objectives and Functions 1 Vandana Gupta and Mangesh S. Manekar 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Museum Definition and Its Existence 2 1.3 Textile Museums and Their History 4 1.4 Importance of Textile Museums 6 1.4.1 Connective Value 6 1.4.2 Collective Value 7 1.4.3 Educative Value 10 1.4.4 Economic Value 11 1.5 Objectives of Textile Museum 14 1.6 Function of Textile Museum 14 1.7 Textile Museum and Their Future Prospects 16 1.8 Conclusion 16 References 16 2 Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage of the World 19 Ritu Pandey, Vandana Gupta, Pintu Pandit, Kumar Rohit and Suruchi Pandey 2.1 Introduction 19 2.1.1 Ancient Textiles of the World 20 2.2 Ancient Textiles of the World: Techniques and Historical Perspective 24 2.2.1 Ancient Heritage Textiles—Asia and Australia 24 2.2.1.1 Chinese Textiles 24 2.2.1.2 Japanese Textiles 24 2.2.1.3 Indian Textile 26 2.2.1.4 Turkish Textiles 27 2.2.1.5 Persian Rugs 27 2.2.2 African Textile 28 2.2.3 Scandinavian Textile Design 29 2.2.4 American Textiles 30 2.3 Role of Museum: Textile as a Part of Heritage and Culture 32 2.4 Marketing Strategies for Museums and Conservation 33 2.5 Conclusion 35 References 35 3 Important Woven Textile Specimens in World Museums 39 Karthika Audinet 3.1 Introduction 39 3.2 Methodology 40 3.3 Prehistoric Textiles 42 3.3.1 Textile Specimen 1.3.1 44 3.3.2 Textile Specimen 1.3.2 44 3.3.3 Textile Specimen 1.3.3 45 3.3.4 Textile Specimen 1.3.4 45 3.3.5 Textile Specimen 1.3.5 46 3.3.6 Textile Specimen 1.3.6 46 3.4 Textiles from Peru 46 3.4.1 Textile Specimen 1.4.1 48 3.4.2 Textile Specimen 1.4.2 48 3.4.3 Textile Specimen 1.4.3 49 3.4.4 Textile Specimen 1.4.4 49 3.4.5 Textile Specimen 1.4.5 49 3.4.6 Textile Specimen 1.4.6 50 3.4.7 Textile Specimen 1.4.7 50 3.5 Chinese Textiles 50 3.5.1 Textile Specimen 1.5.1 52 3.5.2 Textile Specimen 1.5.2 52 3.5.3 Textile Specimen 1.5.3 53 3.5.4 Textile Specimen 1.5.4 54 3.5.5 Textile Specimen 1.5.5 54 3.5.6 Textile Specimen 1.5.6 55 3.5.7 Textile Specimen 1.5.7 55 3.6 Textiles from the Indian Subcontinent 56 3.6.1 Textile Specimen 1.6.1 57 3.6.2 Textile Specimen 1.6.2 58 3.6.3 Textile Specimen 1.6.3 58 3.6.4 Textile Specimen 1.6.4 58 3.6.5 Textile Specimen 1.6.5 59 3.6.6 Textile Specimen 1.6.6 59 3.6.7 Textile Specimen 1.6.7 59 3.7 Textiles from Sudan, Egypt, Mali, and Ghana (North and West African Textiles) 60 3.7.1 Textile Specimen 1.7.1 61 3.7.2 Textile Specimen 1.7.2 62 3.7.3 Textile Specimen 1.7.3 63 3.7.4 Textile Specimen 1.7.4 63 3.8 Textiles from Japan 64 3.8.1 Textile Specimen 1.8.1 65 3.8.2 Textile Specimen 1.8.2 65 3.8.3 Textile Specimen 1.8.3 66 3.8.4 Textile Specimen 1.8.4 66 3.8.5 Textile Specimen 1.8.5 66 3.8.6 Textile Specimen 1.8.6 67 3.9 Textiles from Iran and Central Asia 67 3.9.1 Textile Specimen 1.9.1 69 3.9.2 Textile Specimen 1.9.2 69 3.9.3 Textile Specimen 1.9.3 69 3.9.4 Textile Specimen 1.9.4 70 3.9.5 Textile Specimen 1.9.5 70 3.10 Textiles from Italy and France 71 3.10.1 Textile Specimen 1.10.1 73 3.10.2 Textile Specimen 1.10.2 73 3.10.3 Textile Specimen 1.10.3 73 3.10.4 Textile Specimen 1.10.4 73 3.11 Conclusion: Toward an Understanding of the Historic Foundations of Woven Structures 74 References 77 List of Museums 82 Glossary 83 4 Types of Conservation of Textiles in the Museum: Their Importance and Scope 87 K. B. Binita and B. Sunita 4.1 Introduction 87 4.2 Importance of Conservation 88 4.3 Principles of Conservation 89 4.3.1 Determining the Need and Laying the Foundation for Conservation 89 4.3.2 The Conservation Assessment and Process 89 4.3.3 Obtaining a Conservation Assessment 89 4.3.4 Selecting an Assessor or Conservator 89 4.3.5 The Assessment as a Planning Tool 90 4.3.6 Conservation Collection Condition Survey 90 4.3.7 Object Treatment 90 4.3.8 Risk Assessment and Management 90 4.4 Types of Textile Articles Conserved 90 4.5 Methods of Conservation 91 4.5.1 Preventive Conservation 91 4.5.1.1 Climate 92 4.5.1.2 Light 92 4.5.1.3 Insects 93 4.5.1.4 Microorganisms 93 4.5.1.5 Dust, Soil, and Other Contaminants 94 4.5.1.6 Disaster 94 4.5.2 Curative/Interventive Conservation 95 4.5.2.1 Surface Cleaning 95 4.5.2.2 Vacuuming 95 4.5.2.3 Wet Cleaning 95 4.5.2.4 Solvent or Dry Cleaning 96 4.5.2.5 Stabilization 96 4.6 Storage, Display, and Handling of Museum Textiles 96 4.7 Scope of Conservation 97 4.7.1 Education and Knowledge Dissemination 97 4.7.2 Lecture, Seminar, Workshops, and Research 98 4.7.3 Photography and Publication 98 4.8 New Approaches in Conservation 98 4.9 Conclusion 99 References 99 Webliography 100 5 Fashion and Textile Museums Across the Globe 101 Arpana Kamboj and Surabhi Mahajan 5.1 Introduction 101 5.2 Victoria and Albert Museum, London 103 5.2.1 History 103 5.2.2 Collection 104 5.3 Fashion Museum, Bath, UK 104 5.3.1 History 104 5.3.2 Collection 105 5.4 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City 106 5.4.1 History 106 5.4.2 Collection 107 5.5 Musée De La Mode Et Du Textile, France 108 5.5.1 History 108 5.5.2 Collection 109 5.6 Palais Galliera, France 109 5.6.1 History 110 5.6.2 Collection 110 5.6.2.1 Eighteenth Century Dress Office 110 5.6.2.2 Nineteenth Century Ensembles Division 111 5.6.2.3 Fashion of the Principal Half of 20th Century 111 5.6.2.4 Haute Couture 111 5.6.2.5 Contemporary Office 111 5.6.2.6 Extras Office 111 5.7 Kyoto Costume Institute, Japan 111 5.7.1 History 112 5.7.2 Collection 112 5.8 Museum of Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, USA 113 5.8.1 History 113 5.8.2 Collection 114 5.9 Museo Del Traje, Spain 115 5.9.1 History 115 5.9.2 Collection 116 5.10 Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, California 116 5.10.1 History 117 5.10.2 Collection 117 5.11 Kent State University Museum, USA 117 5.11.1 History 118 5.11.2 Collection 119 5.12 Conclusion 119 References 119 6 Documentation of Museum Textiles 123 Simmi Bhagat and Radhana Raheja 6.1 Introduction 123 6.2 Functions of Documentation 124 6.3 Features of Documentation System 125 6.4 Collection Management Policy 126 6.5 Assessment Standards 128 6.5.1 Collection Assessment 128 6.5.2 Assessment of Objects 129 6.6 Types of Documentation 130 6.6.1 Written Description 130 6.6.2 Photographic Records 131 6.7 Formats of Documentation 136 6.7.1 Styles of Written Documentation 136 6.7.2 Manual and Digitized Documentation 136 6.8 Case Study 137 6.9 Conclusion 141 References 141 7 Ideal Storage Conditions for Museum Textiles 143 Simmi Bhagat and Kanika Sachdeva 7.1 Introduction 143 7.2 Published Standards in Museum Storage 144 7.3 Storage Design and Architecture 145 7.3.1 Museum Storage Building and Space Allocation 146 7.3.2 Building Monitoring and Maintenance 146 7.4 Environmental Conditions 147 7.4.1 Temperature and Relative Humidity 147 7.4.2 Light 148 7.5 Storage Techniques 148 7.5.1 Accession and Labeling 149 7.5.2 Flat Storage 149 7.5.3 Rolled Storage 150 7.5.4 Hanging Storage 151 7.5.5 Special Storage 152 7.6 Safety Systems 153 7.6.1 Location, Structural, and Physical Protection 153 7.6.2 Perimeter Alarms 153 7.6.3 Invigilation 154 7.6.4 Key Security 154 7.7 Disaster Handling 154 7.7.1 Protecting from Fire 155 7.7.2 Protecting from Floods 155 7.7.3 Protecting from Pests 156 7.7.4 Day-to-Day Maintenance 156 7.8 Managing Dust and Dirt 157 7.9 Pollutants 157 7.10 Conclusion 159 References 159 8 Tools and Methods for Handling and Storage of Museum Textiles 161 Pratikhya Badanayak, Seiko Jose, Ragini Dubey and Ritu Pandey 8.1 Introduction 161 8.2 Care, Maintenance, and Handling of Museum Textiles 162 8.2.1 General Storage Factors 162 8.2.2 General Guideline in Handling 163 8.3 Ideal Conditions, Temperature, Humidity 163 8.4 Storage Units 163 8.5 Storage Materials 164 8.6 Tools Used in Maintenance of Museum Textiles 164 8.6.1 Equipping the Workspace 164 8.6.2 Housekeeping 164 8.6.2.1 Cleaning the Collection and Environment 166 8.6.2.2 Basic and Best Practices for Checking and Monitoring in Museum 166 8.6.3 Materials and Supplies 167 8.6.3.1 Handling 167 8.6.4 Packing and Unpacking 168 8.6.5 Moving 170 8.6.6 Rolling and Unrolling 170 8.7 Labeling 170 8.8 Cleaning 171 8.9 Dealing with Separations 171 8.10 Tools Used for Displaying Museum Textiles 172 8.10.1 Showcases and Galleries 172 8.10.2 Frames 172 8.10.3 Mannequins 173 8.10.4 Hangers 174 8.11 Handling During Transportation 175 8.11.1 By Road 175 8.11.2 By Rail 176 8.11.3 By Sea 176 8.11.4 By Air 176 8.12 Handling Techniques and Conservation Practices of Ancient Textiles in Museums 177 8.12.1 Egyptian Shroud 177 8.12.2 Jordanian Belt 177 8.12.3 Silk Textile 177 8.12.4 Coptic Tapestry 178 8.13 Conclusions 178 References 178 9 Roles and Responsibilities of Museum Professionals 181 Kanika Sachdeva 9.1 Introduction 181 9.2 History of Museums Professionals Training in India 182 9.3 Roles in a Textile Museum 182 9.3.1 Conservator 185 9.3.2 Conservation Scientist 185 9.3.3 Curator 186 9.3.4 Collections Manager 187 9.3.5 Registrar/Documentalist 187 9.3.6 Historian 188 9.3.7 Exhibition Coordinator/Designer 188 9.3.8 Museum Education Officer 189 9.3.9 Photographer 189 9.3.10 Information Technologist 190 9.3.11 Health and Safety Officer 190 9.3.12 Security Officer 191 9.4 Conclusion 191 References 191 10 Ancient Weaving and Dyeing Techniques 193 Hannah Dewey, Meghan Lord, Seonyoung Youn, Januka Budhathoki-Uprety and Kavita Mathur 10.1 Introduction to Weaving 193 10.2 Ancient Weaving by Geographical Region 194 10.2.1 In the Middle East and Central Eurasia 194 10.2.2 In Egypt 195 10.2.3 In Greece, Italy, and Romania 196 10.2.4 In India 198 10.2.5 In Southeast Asia and China 199 10.2.6 In The Americas 200 10.3 Conclusion on Weaving Techniques 203 10.4 Introduction to Dyes and Dyeing Technologies 203 10.5 Ancient Dyes, Pigments, and Dyeing Technologies 203 10.5.1 Indigoids (Indigo and Tyrian Purple) 203 10.5.2 Quinonoids (Madder) 204 10.5.3 Carotenoids (Saffron) 204 10.5.4 Flavonoids 205 10.5.5 Dihydropyran (Brazilwood and Logwood) 205 10.5.6 Tannins 205 10.6 Conclusion 205 References 205 11 Armours: Ancient Metallic Textiles 209 Ritu Pandey, Ragini Dubey, Pintu Pandit, Suruchi Pandey, Mukesh Kumar Sinha and Amarish Dubey 11.1 Introduction 209 11.2 Parts of Armour and Accessories 210 11.2.1 Helmet 210 11.2.2 Coif 210 11.2.3 Ventail 213 11.2.4 Mail 213 11.2.5 Hauberk 213 11.2.6 Gauntlet and Pauldron 213 11.2.7 Sabatons and Greaves 214 11.3 Armour Designs 215 11.4 Armour Materials 215 11.5 Metallic Costume of King Tutankhamen 217 11.6 Conclusion 217 References 218 12 Textile Conservation in India: A Case Series 219 Deepshikha Kalsi, Elizabeth-Anne Haldane and Lynda Hillyer 12.1 Introduction 219 12.2 Internship Training in Textile Conservation at the V&A 220 12.2.1 Condition Assessment 221 12.2.2 Case Study: Conservation of a Painted and Dyed Cotton Chintz Appliqué Panel 221 12.2.3 Condition Assessment 222 12.2.4 Conservation Treatment and Mounting 222 12.3 Setting Up a Textile Conservation Studio in India 224 12.4 Conservation of an 19th Century Jama 225 12.5 Case Study—Conservation of a Military Frock Coat 227 12.5.1 Historical Context 227 12.5.2 Documentation of Construction and Condition Assessment 228 12.5.3 Conservation Treatment 229 12.5.4 Customizing the Mannequin Mount 232 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 232 12.7 Technical Analysis and Documentation 233 12.8 Training and Outreach 234 12.8.1 Case Study—Indian Museum, Kolkata 235 12.8.2 Case Study—The Registry of Sarees, Bangalore 235 12.9 Conclusion 236 Acknowledgments 237 References 237 13 Symbolism and Conservation of Indigenous African Textiles for Museums 239 Raphael Kanyire Seidu, Ebenezer Kofi Howard, Edward Apau and Benjamin Eghan 13.1 Introduction 239 13.2 Types of Indigenous African Textiles 240 13.2.1 African Weave Traditions 240 13.2.1.1 Smock Weaves/Fugu 240 13.2.1.2 Aso-Oke 242 13.2.1.3 Kente 243 13.2.1.4 Kete 244 13.2.1.5 Akwete 245 13.2.1.6 Berber Cloth 246 13.2.1.7 Shuka Cloth 247 13.2.1.8 Kuba Raffia Cloth 247 13.2.2 African Dye Traditions 248 13.2.2.1 Adire 248 13.2.2.2 Ukara 250 13.2.2.3 Mud Cloth 251 13.2.3 African Print Traditions 253 13.2.3.1 Adinkra Cloth 253 13.2.3.2 Kanga Cloth 255 13.2.3.3 Shweshwe 256 13.2.3.4 Ankara or African Wax Prints (West Africa) or Kitenge (East Africa) 256 13.2.4 Other African Traditions 257 13.2.4.1 Bark Cloth 257 13.2.4.2 Fon Appliqué Cloth 258 13.3 Indigenous African Textiles Techniques 259 13.4 Museums in African 259 13.4.1 Challenges of Museums in Africa 260 13.4.2 Contribution of Technology for African Museums 260 13.5 Conclusion 261 References 261 Appendix (Figure sources) 265 14 Conservation of Textile Immemorial: The Fading Past of Uttarakhand Museums 267 Pooja Singh and Alka Goel 14.1 Introduction 267 14.2 Materials and Methods 269 14.2.1 Selection of Locale 269 14.2.2 Tool Preparation and Data Collection 269 14.2.3 Data Collection 269 14.2.4 Statistical Analysis of the Data 270 14.2.4.1 Weighted Mean Score 270 14.3 Results and Discussion 270 14.3.1 General Information About the Museums 270 14.3.1.1 The Number of People Who Work at the Museums that Have Been Chosen 270 14.3.1.2 Conservation Laboratories 271 14.3.1.3 Acquisition of Textile Antiquities 272 12.3.1.4 Ageing of Textile Articles Placed in Different Museums 274 14.3.1.5 Air Circulation Facilities in Museums 274 14.3.1.6 Protective Measures Used to Protect the Windows/ Ventilators From Sunlight and Dust 275 14.3.1.7 Methods Used for Identification of Fibers 276 14.3.1.8 The Details of Temperature and Relative Humidity Ranges in a Variety of Museums 276 14.3.2 Types of Display Techniques Used for Textile Antiquities 276 14.3.2.1 Labeling Methods Carried Out for the Displayed Artifacts 279 14.3.3 Storage Equipments Used in Selected Museums 280 14.3.4 The Collection of Textile Artifacts Collections in Various Museums of Uttarakhand 281 14.3.4.1 Details of Stored Textile Materials 281 14.3.4.2 Govind Ballabh Pant Museum, Almora 281 14.3.4.3 Tribal Museum, Munsyari 282 14.3.4.4 Kumaon Regiment Museum, Ranikhet 282 14.3.4.5 Lok Sangrah, Folk Culture Museum, Bhimtal 283 14.3.4.6 Jim Corbett Museum 283 14.3.4.7 Gurney House Museum, Nainital 284 14.3.5 Various Methods of Prevention Used in Various Selected Museums 284 14.3.5.1 Covering Materials Used for Various Artifacts Displayed in Selected Museums 285 14.3.5.2 Special Kind of Lighting System in the Museum to Protect the Textiles/Garments From Fading/Ageing 286 14.3.5.3 Touching on Museum Antiquities 287 14.3.6 Conservation Techniques Used in the Museum 287 14.3.6.1 Pretreatments Given to Textile Antiquities and Display Boards 287 14.3.6.2 Methods of Reinforcing the Deteriorated Textile Antiquities 288 14.3.6.3 Backing Material Used in Conservation of Museum Textiles 288 14.4 Conclusion 289 References 289 15 The Conservation and Display of Indian Textiles at the Victoria and Albert Museum 291 Elizabeth-Anne Haldane, Lynda Hillyer and Deepshikha Kalsi 15.1 Introduction to the V&A and the Indian Textile Collections 291 15.2 Care of Collections 294 15.3 Conservation 295 15.3.1 Principles of Conservation 295 15.3.2 Assessing Condition, Causes of Deterioration 295 15.3.3 Preventive Conservation 297 15.3.4 Understanding the Object—Context and Scientific Investigation 297 15.4 Object Treatment 300 15.4.1 Object Treatment—Cleaning 300 15.4.2 Surface Cleaning and Humidification 301 15.4.3 Wet Cleaning 303 15.4.4 Solvent Cleaning 305 15.4.5 Stabilization and Support 306 15.5 Display 308 15.6 Conclusion 312 Acknowledgments 312 References 313 16 Between Science and Art: Activities of the Natural Dyeing Laboratory 315 Katarzyna Schmidt-Przewoźna 16.1 Introduction 315 16.2 Promotion of Antique Dyes, Pigments, and Prints 320 16.2.1 Projects 320 16.2.2 Workshop and Exhibitions 321 16.2.3 Color Catalog of Ancient Dye and Its Reproduction 323 16.2.4 Reconstruction of Ancient Dyeing Techniques 323 16.3 Analysis of Antique Polish Kontush Sash Dyeing Material: A Case Study 324 16.4 Conclusion 325 Acknowledgment 326 References 326 17 Visitor Interactions and Museum Textiles 327 Kanika Sachdeva and Divya Singhal Gupta 17.1 Introduction 327 17.2 Textile Exhibitions—Challenges in Display 328 17.2.1 Display Method 328 17.2.1.1 Open Display or Display Cases 329 17.2.1.2 Display Design 330 17.2.1.3 Points to be Considered While Planning a Textile Display 332 17.2.1.4 Level of Interaction Between the Visitors and the Objects on Display 333 17.2.2 Display Lighting 334 17.2.2.1 Hacks for Appropriate Lighting of Textile Exhibitions in Museums 335 17.3 Exhibition Protocols Followed by the Museum 335 17.3.1 Safety Guidelines—Visitor Safety, Conduct and Access 335 17.3.2 Safety of Museum Artifacts 336 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 336 17.4 Photography and Memorabilia 336 17.5 Access Guidelines for Museum Storage 337 17.6 An Ideal Textile Exhibition 338 17.6.1 Case Study 1 338 17.6.2 Case Study 2 338 17.7 Conclusion 339 References 339 18 Educational Value of Clothing and Textile Museums 341 Sara Marcketti and Jennifer Gordon 18.1 Introduction 341 18.2 Importance of Conservation in Textiles and Clothing Collections 342 18.3 Frameworks for Material Culture Analysis in the Learning Process 344 18.4 The Value of Collections to Students’ Education 344 18.4.1 The Collection at Iowa State University 345 18.5 Taxonomy of Significant Learning and Collections 345 18.5.1 Foundational Knowledge 346 18.5.2 Application 347 18.5.3 Integration 348 18.5.4 Human Dimensions 349 18.5.5 Caring 350 18.5.6 Learning How to Learn 351 18.6 Conclusion 352 References 352 19 Career in Textile Museum 355 Maanasaa Sethuraman, Suruchi Pandey and Ritu Pandey 19.1 Introduction 355 19.2 Sources of Textile Museum Collections 356 19.3 Scope of Careers in Textile Museum 358 19.3.1 Job Opportunities 358 19.3.1.1 Public Sector 359 19.3.1.2 Private Sector 361 19.3.1.3 Opportunities Offshores 362 19.3.2 Changing Hiring Trends 362 19.3.2.1 Work-Life Balance in Careers in Museum Textile 363 19.3.2.2 Job Description 363 19.4 Glimpses of Work in Progress on Museum Textile 366 19.5 Sourcing for Talent at Textile Museums 369 19.5.1 Private Job Sites 369 19.5.2 Museum Websites 370 19.5.3 Consultant Hiring 371 19.5.4 Social Media 371 19.5.5 Newspaper Advertisement 371 19.5.6 Word of Mouth 372 19.5.7 Campus Hiring 372 19.6 Educational Opportunities 374 19.6.1 School or Pre-University Level 374 19.6.2 University Level (Under Graduation) 374 19.6.3 Postgraduation 374 19.7 Sample Organization Structure 375 19.8 Limitations and Challenges in the Field of Textile Museum 375 19.9 Conclusion 375 Acknowledgment 379 References 379 Index 383