A multi-analytical approach towards the investigation of Subarctic Athapaskan colouring of quillwork and its sensitivity to photo-degradation

• Published in: Microchemical Journal
• Main Authors: Troalen, Lore, Röhrs, S, Calligaro, T, Pacheco, C, Kunz, S, del Hoyo-Meléndez, J M, Hulme, Alison N
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2016
• Subjects: AM Museums (General). Collectors and collecting (General); E151 United States (General); NK Decorative arts Applied arts Decoration and ornament; QD Chemistry; QL Zoology; Subarctic
• Online Access: http://repository.nms.ac.uk/1541/; http://repository.nms.ac.uk/1541/1/1541_A_multi-analytical_approach_towards_the_investigation_of_Subarctic_Athapaskan_colouring_of_quillwork.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2015.11.053

Non-European dyed materials other than textiles have received comparatively little systematic analysis, this is particularly true for objects made with dyed porcupine quills. This paper presents a comprehensive study of a group of Athapaskan porcupine quill specimens collected in 1862 which are held within the collections of National Museums Scotland, UK. Due to sampling limitations micro-destructive testing, or non-invasive analysis using PDA-UPLC, Raman Spectroscopy and PIXE were used to characterise the dye sources and metallic mordants. RBS was used to obtain additional information on the depth-profiling of the mordants in the keratin-based quill. The sensitivity of the quill specimens to photo-degradation was evaluated using Micro Fade Testing (MFT). The results from this multi-analytical study will be used to inform future display regimes of this unique collection.