The Impact of Dye Analysis in Chinese Textiles Production History

Previous work has documented the presence of more than 200 textiles in Portuguese collections, principally embroideries. These objects are currently grouped under the heading “Sino-Portuguese”, but it has become clear that not all of them were necessarily produced in China. Some objects appear to have been made by migrant Chinese craftsmen working elsewhere in the Indian Ocean, such as the west coast of India, while others seem to be Portuguese copies of Chinese objects. These observations raise important questions about cultural contacts and influences, which cannot be resolved exclusively on the basis of historical or art historical analysis, and the scientific analysis of colours provides a complementary tool.
In this presentation we will discuss how dye analysis can contribute to current art historical debates concerning questions of provenance, chronology, and trade, in order to understand the nature of cross-cultural influences in textiles production.