Investigation of crimson-dyed fibres for a new approach on the characterization of cochineal and kermes dyes in historical textiles

The colorant behaviour of cochineal and kermes insect dyes in 141 experimentally-dyed and 28 artificially-aged samples of silk and wool was investigated using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array detector (UHPLC-PDA), liquid chromatography electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) and image scanning electron microscopy – energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Partial-least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was then used to model the acquired UHPLC-PDA data and assess the possibility of discriminating cochineal insect species, as well as their correspondent dyed and aged reference fibres. The resulting models helped to characterize a set of 117 red samples from 95 historical textiles, in which UHPLC-PDA analyses have reported the presence of cochineal and kermes insect dyes.     

Production and validation of model iron-tannate dyed textiles for use as historic textile substitutes in stabilisation treatment studies

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: For millennia, iron-tannate dyes have been used to colour ceremonial and domestic objects shades of black, grey, or brown. Surviving iron-tannate dyed objects are part of our cultural heritage but their existence is threatened by the dye itself which can accelerate oxidation and acid hydrolysis of the substrate. This causes many iron-tannate dyed textiles to discolour and decrease in tensile strength and flexibility at a faster rate than equivalent undyed textiles. The current lack of suitable stabilisation treatments means that many historic iron-tannate dyed objects are rapidly crumbling to dust with the knowledge and value they hold being lost forever. This paper describes the production, characterisation, and validation of model iron-tannate dyed textiles as substitutes for historic iron-tannate dyed textiles in the development of stabilisation treatments. Spectrophotometry, surface pH, tensile testing, SEM-EDX, and XRF have been used to characterise the model textiles. RESULTS: On application to textiles, the model dyes imparted mid to dark blue-grey colouration, an immediate tensile strength loss of the textiles and an increase in surface acidity. The dyes introduced significant quantities of iron into the textiles which was distributed in the exterior and interior of the cotton, abaca, and silk fibres but only in the exterior of the wool fibres. As seen with historic iron tannate dyed objects, the dyed cotton, abaca, and silk textiles lost tensile strength faster and more significantly than undyed equivalents during accelerated thermal ageing and all of the dyed model textiles, most notably the cotton, discoloured more than the undyed equivalents on ageing. CONCLUSIONS: The abaca, cotton, and silk model textiles are judged to be suitable for use as substitutes for cultural heritage materials in the testing of stabilisation treatments.     

Identification of anthraquinone markers for distinguishing Rubia species in madder-dyed textiles by HPLC

The anthraquinone components of the roots of various species of madder (Rubia spp.) have been used for millennia as red colorants in textiles, carpets and other objects. Although many species of Rubia are known, only a few of them have been used widely for dyeing. Furthermore, though nearly 70 anthraquinones have been found in Rubia species, only a few of these occur consistently at relatively high levels. Knowledge of the plant dyestuffs is helpful for establishing the location of production, production method and/or history of the dyed object. Using plant material and dyed textile fibers obtained from a number of sources, and HPLC with photodiode array and mass spectrometric detection for analysis, we have been able to identify marker anthraquinones that permit differentiation of the more common species of madder used for dyeing in Eurasia. Textiles dyed with all of the species examined contain varying amounts of purpurin, but only those dyed with Rubia akane contain large amounts of 6-hydroxyrubiadin (1,3,6-trihydroxy-2-methylanthraquinone) or its glycosides. Textiles dyed with R. tinctorum contain primarily alizarin, whereas those dyed with R. cordifolia and R. peregrina contain mostly purpurin, munjistin and pseudopurpurin, but little or no alizarin or 6-hydroxyrubiadin. The latter two species cannot reliably be distinguished from each other, however. The plants themselves often contain glycoside precursors not usually seen in the dyed materials.

Micro Analysis on Hallstatt Textiles: Colour and Condition

Due to the special conditions in the Bronze Age and Hallstatt Period salt-mines of Hallstatt, Austria, a large number of archaeological textile fragments, dated from 1400 to 400 BC, can be found. Textiles of good condition from these periods are quite unique. The fibres are identified as wool and most of the fragments still have colours i.e. yellow, green, olive-green, brown, blue and black. To obtain information about the dyeing techniques used in this period, dyestuffs analyses are performed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to photo diode array detection (HPLC-PDA) and mordant analysis by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). In addition, the condition of the textile fibres is assessed by SEM. The analyses revealed that all textiles were dyed with plant dyes and insect dyes. The yellow plant dyes and the red insect dyes are mordant dyes but the identification of mordants turned out to be difficult. SEM/EDS analyses of small uncontaminated areas on the fibre showed that the elements aluminium, iron and copper are present in many samples. These elements could originate from a mordant or from the mine. The condition of the fibres was assessed by the presence of the characteristic scales on the wool, tears, cuts and particles from the mine. It was found that a relation exists between the copper content of the fibres and their condition. Degraded fibres contain more copper. Black textile fragments which are most possibly coloured by iron gall-black show as well degradation phenomena.     

Vibrational spectroscopy to study degradation of natural dyes. Assessment of oxygen-free cassette for safe exposition of artefacts

An important issue connected with conservation chemistry is how to improve the storage and exposure conditions in order to suppress the fading and degradation of dyes and other components of paintings. Although the oxygen-free exposure cassettes are commonly known in museums, there is still lack of information in the literature about the effect of anoxic conditions on the degradation of dyes. This study is an attempt to start a database formation on the dyes degradation. Five commercial dyes (indigo, dragon’s blood, curcumin, madder, carminic acid) were submitted to accelerated ageing by exposure to intensive light in the visible range in both oxygen-free (anoxia) and -rich conditions. Degradation of the samples was investigated by several analytical techniques (attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, reflectance UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and optical microscopy). The conclusions are based on the estimators (derived from the determination of colour differences from Vis spectra and from the changes in FTIR and Raman vibrational bands intensity). According to them, only indigo, dragon’s blood and curcumin show greater stability in anoxic conditions in comparison with oxygen-rich ones while madder, carminic acid undergo greater degradation.     

Extracting natural dyes from wool--an evaluation of extraction methods

The efficiency of eight different procedures used for the extraction of natural dyes was evaluated using contemporary wool samples dyed with cochineal, madder, woad, weld, brazilwood and logwood. Comparison was made based on the LC-DAD peak areas of the natural dye's main components which had been extracted from the wool samples. Among the tested methods, an extraction procedure with Na(2)EDTA in water/DMF (1:1, v/v) proved to be the most suitable for the extraction of the studied dyes, which presented a wide range of chemical structures. The identification of the natural dyes used in the making of an eighteenth century Arraiolos carpet was possible using the Na(2)EDTA/DMF extraction of the wool embroidery samples and an LC-DAD-MS methodology. The effectiveness of the Na(2)EDTA/DMF extraction method was particularly observed in the extraction of weld dye components. Nine flavone derivatives previously identified in weld extracts could be identified in a single historical sample, confirming the use of this natural dye in the making of Arraiolos carpets. Indigo and brazilwood were also identified in the samples, and despite the fact that these natural dyes were referred in the historical recipes of Arraiolos dyeing, it is the first time that the use of brazilwood is confirmed. Mordant analysis by ICP-MS identified the widespread use of alum in the dyeing process, but in some samples with darker hues, high amounts of iron were found instead.     

Analysis of ancient Greco–Roman cosmetic materials using laser desorption ionization and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Microsamples of pink cosmetic powders from the Greco–Roman period were analyzed using two complementary analytical approaches for identification of the colouring agents (lake pigments originally manufactured from madder plants with an inert binder, usually a metallic salt) present in the samples. The first technique was a methanolic acidic extraction of the archaeological samples with an additional ethyl acetate extraction of the anthraquinone-type colouring agents which were identified using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization with high resolution mass spectrometry (LC–ESI–HRMS), and the second was direct analysis of a microsample by laser desorption ionization–mass spectrometry (LDI–MS). The latter technique is well suited when the quantity of samples is very low. This soft ionization technique enables the detection of very small quantities of compounds using the combination of positive and negative-ion modes. It was also successfully applied for the direct analysis of some laboratory-made reference compounds. However, the presence of lead in one of these ancient samples induced a spectral suppression phenomenon. In this case and conditional on a sufficient quantity of available sample, the former method is better adapted for the characterization of these anthraquinone-type molecules. This study also confirmed that purpurin, munjistin, and pseudopurpurin are the principal colouring agents present in these ancient cosmetic powders constituted from madder plants. Presented at the Annual French National Symposium on Mass Spectrometry, Electrophoresis and Proteomics, 20–23 September 2007 in Pau, France.     

Identification of natural dyes used in works of art by pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry combined with in situ trimethylsilylation

Samples of four natural dyes from different organic families—natural madder (anthraquinonoid), curcuma (curcuminoid), saffron (carotenoid) and indigo (indigotic)—were analysed using a new procedure based on pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py–GC/MS), which includes the on-line derivatisation of the natural dyes using hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS). In addition, a previous procedure involving the addition of a 10% H₂SO₄ aqueous solution to the dye and further separation with ethyl acetate has been tested. This procedure enhances the sensitivity of the method by extracting the colouring compounds from the rest of the compounds present in the natural dye. Two possible derivatising reagents—HMDS and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH)—were compared in order to assess their effectiveness in the proposed method. Characteristic peaks from trimethylsilyl derivatives of alizarin, quinizarin, xanthopurpurin and purpurin were obtained for madder; peaks from safranal, isophorone and trimethylsilyl derivative of crocetin for saffron; peaks from 4-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy)phenyl-3-buten-2-one and 4-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy)phenyl-2-butanone, which are primary pyrolysis products of curcuma, and peaks from indole, 2-methylindole and 2,3-dihydroindol-2-one, which are primary pyrolysis products of indigo, among others, were obtained. The reported procedure leads to the unambiguous identification of the four studied dyes from solid samples formed by individual dyes.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at     

Identification of naphthoquinonic and anthraquinonic dyes via sequential potential steps applied to the voltammetry of microparticles methodology

An electrochemical method for identifying anthraquinonic, naphthoquinonic, and related dyes in microsamples is reported. This method is based on the sequential application of oxidative and reductive constant-potential polarization steps coupled with the record of square wave voltammograms to solid microsamples of dyes in contact with aqueous electrolytes. As a result, oxidized/reduced products form a layer on the lateral faces of the dye crystals as suggested by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy data. This methodology is applied for characterizing alizarin, purpurin, and natural dyes aloe, cochineal red, madder lake, kermes, shellac, and henna attached to paraffin-impregnated graphite electrodes in contact with aqueous potassium phosphate buffer.     

Identification of natural dyes in archeological Coptic textiles by liquid chromatography with diode array detection

Reversed-phase HPLC with diode-array UV-Vis spectrophotometric detection has been used for identification of natural dyes in extracts from wool and silk fibres from archeological textiles. The examined objects originate from 4th to 12th Century Egypt and belong to the collection of Early Christian Art of the National Museum in Warsaw. Extraction from fibres was carried out with HCl solution containing ethanol or with warm pyridine. As the main individual chemical components of natural dyes, anthraquinone, indigoid and flavonoid dyes including alizarin, purpurin, luteolin, apigenin, carminic acid, ellagic acid, gallic acid, laccaic acids A and B and indigotin were found. For pyridine extracts another mobile phase with an optimized gradient of organic modifier concentration was used. With such an eluent the appearance of double peaks for indigotin and indirubin was eliminated. For acidic extraction of dyes from fibres, ethanol was used. Due to its higher boiling point than methanol it evaporates slower from the extraction solution enabling a more efficient extraction of dyes.     

Investigation of red natural dyes used in historical objects by HPLC-DAD-MS

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV-Vis Diode Array Detection (DAD) and electrospray mass spectrometric (ESI-MS) method was utilized for the identification of coloring components of madder, Armenian and Mexican cochineal, lac dye, brazilwood, safflower and dragon blood--probably the most important red natural dyestuffs found in objects of the cultural heritage. UV-Vis detection limits in the range of 0.2-0.6 ng for carminic acid, alizarin and purpurin were achieved using a gradient elution of H2O-0.01% TFA and CH3CN-0.01% TFA. ESI mass spectrometer was also used, as a supportive detection method to the standard DAD, for further analysis of the tested materials, with the ability to analyze dyestuffs as small as one milligram. The presence of madder was revealed in two historical (Hellenistic and Roman period) samples, found in the Mediterranean area, by identifying purpurin in both of them. Munjistin was also identified in one of the samples (Hellenistic period) while alizarin was not detected, raising questions regarding the exact madder type, utilized in the historical samples.     

Effect of selected natural dyes in reduction on colour changes of Egyptian linen textiles by fungi

Linen is the most historical Egyptian textile fibre liable to fungal deterioration. Fungal deterioration of dyed linen textiles may appear as undesirable different stains. In order to success in removing of fungal stains from biodeteriorated historical Egyptian dyed linen textiles, it is necessary to understand the nature and causes of these stains, hence their subsequent removal. So this paper aims to investigate the effect of fungi on dyed linen textiles. In this study linen textile samples were experimentally dyed by two different dyes, blue one as an example to vat dye and yellow one as an example to direct dye. This work is done on two of the most important dyes (Turmeric and indigo), which were popular in most of historical periods in Egypt. Dyed linen samples were experimentally biodegraded by thirty different fungal strains isolated previously from historical Egyptian linen samples. The produced change in colours of the biodeteriorated samples was detected visually. Also, the change in reflection spectra and colour differences produced to dyed linen textiles after fungal deterioration, were assessed and evaluated by using spectrophotometer. This study reported that most of tested fungi contribute to discoloration of all tested dyed linen samples. These results indicate that most of stains on historical Egyptian dyed linen textiles, may be fungal stains. The results confirm that undyed linen textiles more liable to fungal biodeterioration than dyed ones. Also the results show that yellow dyed linen textiles are more susceptible to fungal deterioration than blue dyed linen textiles. The obtained results show that Alternaria tenuissima, Chaetomium globosum, Chaetomium sp., Penicillium raistrickii, P. soppi, P. asperum, P. citrinum, Aspergillus carbonarius, A. fischeri, A. nidulans, A. terreus and A. niger, had showed the maximum colour changes of the deteriorated yellow dyed linen samples. The results also show that Alternaria tenuissima, Chaetomium sp., Penicillium asperum, P. citrinum, Aspergillus nidulans and A. spinulosus, had shown the maximum colour changes of the deteriorated blue dyed linen samples.     

Synthesis,characterization and dyeing assessment of novel acid azo dyes and mordent acid azo dyes based on 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone-5-sulfonic acid on wool and silk fabrics

Novel acid mono azo and mordent acid mono azo dyes were synthesized by the coupling of diazonium salt solution of different aromatic amines with 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone-5-sulfonic acid. The resulting dyes were characterized by spectral techniques like elemental analysis, IR, ¹H-NMR and UV visible spectroscopy. The dyeing performance of all the dyes was evaluated on wool and silk fabrics. The dyeing of chrome pre-treated wool and silk fabrics showed better hues on mordented fabrics. Dyeing of wool and silk fabrics resulted in pinkish blue to red shades with very good depth and levelness. The dyed fabrics showed excellent to very good light, washing, perspiration, sublimation and rubbing fastness.     

Enlightening the influence of mordant, dyeing technique and photodegradation on the colour hue of textiles dyed with madder - A chromatographic and spectrometric approach

Wool samples were dyed with madder and alum, copper, and iron salts at different concentration by pre-mordanting (MD) and simultaneous mordanting (M + D) procedures. Samples were artificially aged to identify the influence of the mordant on the madder chromophores photodegradation. A set of analytical techniques was used for complete characterisation of the dyed fibres before and after light exposure, which included colour and chromophore analysis (colourimetry and LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis), determination of mordant ions amounts in the fibres (FAAS and ICP-OES analysis), morphological characterisation of the fibres and punctual chemical analysis (SEM-EDS studies).Fibre colour hue was found to be dependent on the mordant ion nature, mordant bath concentration and dyeing procedure. Mordant ion quantification showed that the uptake of metal ion by the fibres is relatively small, with the Cu ion presenting the highest affinity for the fibre. MD method yields fibres with higher amounts of metal ions and larger chromophore chromatographic peak areas corresponding, in general, to stronger colour hues. Photodegradation was more severe in alum mordant samples and in the first 480 h of light exposure. Chromophore degradation rates are unequal and dependent on the mordant nature, contributing for colour changes observed after light exposure.     

Historical and archaeological textiles: an insight on degradation products of wool and silk yarns

The characterisation of micro-samples from works of art and archaeological residues is a particularly complex task, due to the fact that only a relatively low amount of material is available for sampling, and compounds both derived from the target analytes and the matrix can be simultaneously present. Thus, sensitive, selective and reliable analytical procedures need to be developed. This paper presents the optimisation of an instrumental procedure based on liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection, which allows for determining selected analytes (anthraquinones, tannins, flavonoids), along with their known degradation products: phenolic acids. The instrumental parameters were optimised in terms of selecting the best ionisation source (APCI and ESI were compared), choosing the compound-dependant MS parameters and enhancing selectivity and sensitivity (SIM and MRM analyses were compared). The proposed procedure proved to be sensitive and selective, with limits of detection (0.4-20 ng/mL). The analytical procedure was validated by characterising reference materials, i.e. dyed and undyed woollen and silk yarns, both freshly prepared and artificially aged. Particularly, the study focused on the determination of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, and on the correlation between its relative amounts with respect to ageing time. The optimised procedure was also applied to historical samples and proved fundamental in unravelling the complex composition of black dyed yarns collected from a medieval tapestry. The much degraded yarns were dyed with a tannin based dye, extracted from gallnuts, alder bark or sumac; the less degraded ones were coloured by superimposing colours with cochineal, madder, weld and indigo dye baths, and eventually by adding gallo-tannins as well.     

A study on multifunctional protein fibre with UV protection,moth repellency and antibacterial properties using ESIPT core containing benzimidazole and benzothiazole based functional acid azo dyes

Water soluble fluorescent acid azo dyes with benzimidazole and benzothiazole component having excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) core were synthesised by diazo coupling. The structure of the dyes were analysed and confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared – spectroscopy (FT-IR), elemental analysis, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR analysis. Absorption and emission characteristics of the dyes were studied in different polarity solvents shown bathochromic (red) shift as solvent polarity increases. Wool and silk fabric dyed with synthesised dyes displayed high exhaustion, uniform dyeing and good wet fastness properties. The dyed substrate showed green and purple fluorescence under UV light (366 ​nm) along with UV protection. Dyed wool fabric was also assessed for antibacterial activity by calculation of bacterial reduction Staphylococcus Auerus (Gram positive), Klebsiella Pneumonia (Gram negative) bacteria. The dyed wool were also examined for the resistivity against insect pests Anthrenus Flavipies (Le Conte) by calculation of the fabric weight loss, Mortality of moth and visible assessment of fabric attacked by moth after 14 days in given conditions. Consequently, it was demonstrated that wool fabric dyed with Benzimidazole and benzothiazole based acid dyes had various functionalities, such as UV protection, antibacterial activity and mild moth repellency.     

Identification and partial characterization of C-glycosylflavone markers in Asian plant dyes using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Flavonoids in the grasses (Poaceae family), Arthraxon hispidus (Thunb.) Makino and Miscanthus tinctorius (Steudel) Hackel have long histories of use for producing yellow dyes in Japan and China, but up to now there have been no analytical procedures for characterizing the dye components in textiles dyed with these materials. LC-MS analysis of plant material and of silk dyed with extracts of these plants shows the presence, primarily, of flavonoid C-glycosides, three of which have been tentatively identified as luteolin 8-C-rhamnoside, apigenin 8-C-rhamnoside and luteolin 8-C-(4-ketorhamnoside). Two of these compounds, luteolin 8-C-rhamnoside (M=432), apigenin 8-C-rhamnoside (M=416), along with the previously known tricin (M=330) and several other flavonoids that appear in varying amounts, serve as unique markers for identifying A. hispidus and M. tinctorius as the source of yellow dyes in textiles. Using this information, we have been able to identify grass-derived dyes in Japanese textiles dated to the Nara and Heian periods. However, due to the high variability in the amounts of various flavonoid components, our goal of distinguishing between the two plant sources remains elusive.     

Analysis of natural red dyes (cochineal) in textiles of historical importance using HPLC and multivariate data analysis

A new analytical approach based on high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and multivariate data analysis was applied and assessed for analyzing the red dye extracted from cochineal insects, used in precious historical textiles. The most widely used method of analysis involves quantification of specific minor compounds (markers), using HPLC-DAD. However, variation in the cochineal markers concentration, use of aggressive dye extraction methods and poor resolution of HPLC chromatograms can compromise the identification of the precise insect species used in the textiles. In this study, a soft extraction method combined with a new dye recovery treatment was developed, capable of yielding HPLC chromatograms with good resolution, for the first time, for historical cochineal-dyed textiles. After principal components analysis (PCA) and mass spectrometry (MS), it was possible to identify the cochineal species used in these textiles, in contrast to the accepted method of analysis. In order to compare both methodologies, 7 cochineal species and 63 historical cochineal insect specimens were analyzed using the two approaches, and then compared with the results for 15 historical textiles in order to assess their applicability to real complex samples. The methodology developed here was shown to provide more accurate and consistent information than the traditional method. Almost all of the historical textiles were dyed with Porphyrophora sp. insects. These results emphasize the importance of adopting the proposed methodology for future research on cochineal (and related red dyes). Mild extraction methods and HPLC-DAD/MSⁿ analysis yield distinctive profiles, which, in combination with a PCA reference database, are a powerful tool for identifying red insect dyes.     

Microextraction of Reseda luteola-Dyed Wool and Qualitative Analysis of Its Flavones by UHPLC-UV,NMR and MS

Detailed knowledge on natural dyes is important for agronomy and quality control as well as the fastness, stability, and analysis of dyed textiles. Weld (Reseda luteola L.), which is a source of flavone-based yellow dye, is the focus of this study. One aim was to reduce the required amount of dyed textile to ≤50 μg for a successful chromatographic analysis. The second aim was to unambiguously confirm the identity of all weld flavones. By carrying out the extraction of 50 μg dyed wool with 25 μL of solvent and analysis by reversed-phase UHPLC at 345 nm, reproducible chromatographic fingerprints could be obtained with good signal to noise ratios. Ten baseline separated peaks with relative areas ≥1% were separated in 6 min. Through repeated polyamide column chromatography and prepHPLC, the compounds corresponding with the fingerprint peaks were purified from dried weld. Each was unequivocally identified, including the position and configuration of attached sugars, by means of 1D and 2D NMR and high-resolution MS. Apigenin-4′-O-glucoside and luteolin-4′-O-glucoside were additionally identified as two trace flavones co-eluting with other flavone glucosides, the former for the first time in weld. The microextraction might be extended to other used dye plants, thus reducing the required amount of precious historical textiles.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of colouring matters in historical garments from the Holy Mountain of Athos

This work is probably the first attempt to identify the organic colouring materials contained in post-Byzantine textiles, from the Holy Mountain of Athos. Samples extracted from seven ecclesiastical garments (15th–19th century) are investigated by high performance liquid chromatography with UV-Vis diode array detection. The detection limits for alizarin, purpurin, carminic acid, laccaic acid A, luteolin, apigenin, genistein, fisetin, sulfuretin, ellagic acid, indigotin and indirubin are found to be within 0.002–0.029 μg mL⁻¹. The following organic dyes are identified in the extracts: dyer’s broom (Genista tinctoria L.), young fustic (Cotinus coggygria Scop.), an indigoid dye source either indigo (Indigofera species) or woad (Isatis tinctoria L.), madder, cochineal and lac dye (Kerria lacca Kerr). Furthermore, the identification of a brazilein derivative indicates the presence of a Caesalpinia dye source in the samples. Correspondence: Ioannis Karapanagiotis, Ormylia Art Diagnosis Center, Sacred Convent of the Annunciation, Ormylia, GR-63071 Chalkidiki, Greece