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Treasures from the Sea

Treasures from the Sea Business & Technology

Treasures from the Sea

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Description
This interdisciplinary volume presents a collection of 17 papers which treat the current state of research on two marine resources used in ancient textile manufacture, shellfish purple dye and sea silk. Purple dye is extracted from the glands of the molluscs Hexaplex trunculus, Bolinus Brandaris and Stramonita Haemastoma which through a chemical reaction of photosynthesis produces hues ranging from dark red to bluish purple colour. The importance of purple dye since ancient times as a status symbol, a sign of royal and religious power is well documented. Papers include the study of epigraphical and historical sources, practical experiments as well as, highlighting the presence of purple dye in the Mediterranean area in select archaeological data. Less well known is sea silk, a precious fibre derived from the tufts of the pen shell, Pinna nobilis, with which the mollusc anchors itself to the seabed. These tufts once cleaned and bleached take the aspect of golden thread. Only a handful of artisans on Sardinia still have the knowledge of how to work these fibres from the pen shell, a species protected by the EU Habitats Directive, the knowledge having been transmitted orally for generations. Papers include linguistic issues pertaining to terminology, archaeological investigation, the study of the physical and chemical properties of sea silk and the step-by-step practical working of sea silk fibres. The comprehensive multifaceted overview makes this book a valuable resource for anyone interested in ancient textiles, dyes and textile technology.
Product details
Edition:
1
Number of Pages:
224
Release Date:
2017-05-12
Publication Date:
2017-05-12
Publisher:
Oxbow Books Limited
Languages:
Original: English
ISBN10:
1785704354
ISBN13:
9781785704352
Weight:
885 g
Height:
216 cm
Width:
282 cm
Thickness:
18 cm

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Very good
Almost no signs of wear. Book pages have no markings, accessories are intact and all other media are in good condition.
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