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This study aims to characterise the so-called Sialkoti paper used to produce Pahari drawings preserved today in the Wereldmuseum in Leiden (Netherlands) (WML). These works originate from the Punjab Hills in India (today Himachal Pradesh) and are commonly known as 'Pahari miniature paintings'. The paper upon which these drawings are executed is said to have been produced in Sialkot during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries when papermaking was an integral part of an overall regional economy correlated with other sectors such as agriculture and the textile industry. Although the term Sialkoti refers to identified papermills in Sialkot (now Pakistan), the paper from this region is yet to be subjected to a systematic study. This article therefore explores the paper(s) in question through macro- and microscopic observations of structure, pulp and fibres. The study of historical sources, complemented by the analysis of paper samples and fibre identification, has revealed that the pulp would have been prepared from a variety of manufactured products using different technologies, such as rags, cloth, mats, rope and other plant-based materials made from local bast fibres which, once tattered, were recycled to prepare the pulp. Microscopic study reveals that a variety of fibre combinations under different conditions and processing steps were used, in particular sunn hemp fibre (Crotalaria juncea L.), a plant species that has until now rarely been identified in historical paper. In addition, the presence of kenaf and jute fibres, as well as a significant quantity of cotton fibres, have also been demonstrated. To overcome the lack of comparative materials, our work was supported by a comparative study of several materials made from sunn hemp now held in the Ethnobotany Collection at Kew Gardens. Samples were taken from these materials and provided useful reference micrographs for the identification of the WML samples. The quality of the paper used by Pahari artists, as well as the raw materials available and their processing, are discussed in detail. Putting all the data, including technical and historical information into perspective, we conclude that the Pahari artists used a paper of inferior quality compared to other types of paper used for other purposes such as the creation of illuminated manuscripts in the Punjab plains. This study therefore provides useful analytical and material evidence that complements previous historical, technical and anthropological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposed phytoliths as promising for identifying and distinguishing sources of fibre in Chinese handmade papers. For an initial methodological exploration, two types of Raw Xuan (unprocessed Xuan paper) and the two plant materials used in making them—namely rice straw and bark from blue sandalwood (Pteroceltis tatarinowii Maxim.)—were collected. The dry ashing method was used to extract phytoliths from Raw Xuan and its plant materials. The results can be summarized as follows. First, phytoliths characteristic of rice (Oryza sativa) were abundant in both rice straw and Raw Xuan. By looking for rice phytoliths, it is possible to tell whether or not rice straw fibre is used in a particular paper. Second, hair cell phytoliths were observed in considerable quantities in blue sandalwood bark, but absent in the examined papers. Heat experiments showed that phytoliths in blue sandalwood were resistant to long-term heat and they would unlikely be eliminated when exposed to the heat in papermaking (with heat source barely above 200°C). It is hypothesised that they dissolved while cooked in an alkaline pH (limewater). Further studies are necessary to understand whether phytoliths in blue sandalwood—while cooked in limewater—undergo morphological changes and, if yes, how. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hop (Humulus lupulusL.) is an ancient perennial crop plant, native to the Northern Hemisphere. The archaeological evidence dates back to at least the sixth century ad in Europe. Hop has been used for beer brewing, in sleeping draughts, as bedding and for antibacterial purposes. Less known is that hop fibres have also been used for textiles and paper. However, it is difficult to distinguish hop from other bast fibres. Here, we present a set of fibre features, which, when found together in an archaeological/historical material within a European context, provide a strong indication that the fibres are hop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bast fibres have been commonly used as a textile material in Northern Europe since Neolithic times. However, the process of identifying the different species has been problematic, and many important questions related to their cultural history are still unanswered. For example, a modified Herzog test and the presence of calcium oxalate crystals have both been used in identification. In order to generate more reliable results, further research and advancement in multi-methodological methods is required. This paper introduces a combination of methods which can be used to identify and distinguish flax (Linum usitatissimum), hemp (Cannabis sativa), and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). The research material consisted of reference fibres and 25 fibre samples obtained from 12 textiles assumed to be made of nettle. The textiles were from the Finno-Ugric and Historical Collections of The National Museum of Finland. The fibre samples were studied by observing the surface characteristics and cross sections with transmitted light microscopy, and by using a modified Herzog test with polarized light, in order to identify the distinguishable features in their morphological structures. The study showed that five out of 25 samples were cotton, 16 nettle, one flax, and one hemp. Findings from two samples were inconsistent. The results show that it is possible to distinguish common north European bast fibres from each other by using a combination of microscopic methods. Furthermore, by utilizing these combined methods, new and more reliable information could be obtained from historical ethnographic textiles, which creates new vistas for the interpretation of their cultural history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple, rapid staining analytical methods with visual color assessment are the most used in practice, but they involve problems including subjective error, low accuracy, qualitative results, and the necessity of using many kinds of stains and a great deal of morphology information for correct identification. A method of objective fiber identification using color vectors of a microscan from stained fibre digital photography is described in this report. A model set of cellulose fibres was prepared: groundwood; sulphate pulp; Whatman paper; and rag fibres. The objective micro-colorimetric method, using RGB (red, green, blue) vectors with discriminatory analysis, reduced the number of stains to 1; requires no morphological information; and the discriminatory power (dp,) of this approach is up to 95 to 100% of correctly identified unknown samples with one color vector R or B. A dp value of 100% was achieved when using 2-P or 3-P combinations of R, G, and B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]