Investigation of mordants for dyeing of yarns in ancient Persian carpets (15th–17th century) by IBA methods

Abstract This research work presents the application of proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE), to the study of carpet yarns collected from ancient Persian carpets belonging to Safavid period (1499–1722 CE). The elemental concentrations in the yarns of precious carpets were measured and compared with the corresponding data extracted from a set of prepared wool yarns dyed by the conventional mordant dyeing process. The results indicate the possibilities for identification of the applied dyes and mordant as well as inorganic impurities present in the carpet yarns. This could assist the art historians to understand the history of ancient carpets and variation of its constituent yarns through the ages. Based on the collected information, the museum restorers could be advised to adopt the appropriate mordant dyeing techniques for high quality restoration of these unique carpets.