An examination of natural dyes of Malay textile collection from the Jabatan Muzium Malaysia (JMM) / Sharifah Tahirah Syed Kamarulzaman

This thesis aims to identify the natural dye’s degree of fading on the Malay textile artefacts belonging to the Jabatan Muzium Malaysia (JMM) collection dated from the 19th century and by extending the application of multi-analytical techniques towards informed textile preservation in Malaysia. Studies have been conducted on Malay songket, which mainly emphasises the historical background, characteristics and influences, incorporating traditional techniques and modern technology through innovative approaches. There is insufficient documentation on traditional natural dye and a lack of knowledge on textile natural dye lightfastness behaviour and its characteristics. Textile preservation is an act of caring and improving the state of the textile to prolong its lifespan. Like most organic materials, dyed textiles are subject to rapid degradation due to their nature and preservation requires a depth understanding of the factors of degradation and conditions to conserve and slow the process of their destruction. Identifying the traditional natural red dyes from Malay songket artefact sources, material characteristics and their state of degradation is important when preserving the songket artefacts. Three particular approaches were used to identify the natural dye's songket artefact through phase 1: a preliminary study, phase 2: scientific analyses and phase 3: experimentation. The preliminary study was conducted through visual analysis of artefacts' characteristics and fading degradation of dye on 55 Songket and Limar Songket artefact samples. The songket artefacts are dyed silk fibres with metallic thread made from real gold or silver strips, tightly wrapped around a core yarn of cotton. The red appears in different shades and tones, ranging from bright red to dark red. The scientific analysis involves investigation using the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (SEM- EDX) and Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatographic-diode array (UHLPCDAD).