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. 2024 Mar 4;14:5320. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-54480-4

Table 3.

Skin-based metal threads analytical results.

Museum’s assignment Sample Wrapped strip Strip thickness (µm) Metal coating Strip Substrate General attribution based on technical and analytical results
Manufacture Date Strip Twist Fiber core Core twist/yarns Medium Group Skin species Assumed Binder/ Adhesive
Spain 11th-12th c 1965-33-2_1 Z Yellow silk Z/single-ply n.a n.a n.a Goat

Hispano-Islamic manufacture:

Goat leather strip, Z wound around a Z/single-ply silk core

Main adhesive: egg white
1965-33-2_2 n.a Leaf II.2.b Goat
12th-13th c 313 Z Tan silk Z/single-ply 10–20 n.a n.a Goat
1902-1-216 Z Tan silk Z/single-ply n.a n.a n.a Goat
1965-33-5_1 Z Yellow-tan silk Z/single-ply 35–45 Leaf II.1.c Goat Egg white
1965-33-5_2 n.a n.a n.a Goat Egg white
possibly Spain 5968 Z Yellow silk Z/single-ply n.a Powder n.a Goat Egg white + Cattle hide glue*
6369b Z Yellow-pink silk Z/single-ply n.a Leaf n.a Goat Egg white
Spain 13th c IA5bis_1 Z Tan silk Z/single-ply n.a n.a n.a Goat Egg white
1902-1-229b_1 Z Tan silk Z/single-ply n.a n.a n.a Goat Egg white
1902-1-229b_2 40–55 Leaf I Goat Egg white
1902-1-977c_3 Z Tan silk Z/single-ply 35–40 Leaf II.2.b Goat Egg white
1938-78-1_2 Z Yellow silk Z/single-ply n.a Leaf II.2.c Goat Egg white
1943-20-1b_2 Z Yellow silk Z/single-ply 30–35 Leaf II.2.c Goat Egg white
5776_1 Z Yellow silk Z/single-ply n.a Leaf n.a Goat Egg white + Sheep hide glue*
14th c 1902-1-310_1 Z Yellow silk Z/single-ply 95.-150 Powder n.a Goat Hide glue sheep + cattle*
1902-1-310_2

overall: 100–125

leather only: 55–95

 Powder III Goat Cattle collagen glue
1902-1-311_1 Z Yellow silk Z/single-ply 40–60 Leaf III Goat Cattle collagen glue
1902-1-311_2 n.a Leaf n.a Goat Egg white + Sheep/Cattle collagen glue
Italy (possibly Florence) 14th–15th c IA7_2 Z Yellow silk Z/single-ply 25–40 n.a n.a n.a n.a

Italian or Iranian (possibly Tabriz)

manufacture:

Sheep leather strip, Z wound around a Z/single-ply silk core

Main adhesive: sturgeon glue
IA7_3 n.a n.a n.a Sheep Sturgeon glue
Iran (possibly Tabriz) Possibly 13th c 1902-1-385_2 Z Yellow silk Z/single-ply 70–105 Leaf II.1.a Sheep Sturgeon glue
Persia around 14th c D12b Z Yellow silk Z/single-ply 35–45 Leaf II.1.b Sheep Sturgeon glue
D12b (back) Sheep Sturgeon glue + Horse hide glue*
Iran or Iraq 14th c 03.02.02_2 S Ecru linen S/3-ply 65–70 n.a n.a n.a n.a

Italian or Middle Eastern (Persia: Iran or Iraq) manufacture:

Sheep leather strip, S wound around a S/2-ply or 3-ply linen core (2-ply silk core in one case)

Main adhesive: sturgeon glue
03.02.02_3 n.a n.a n.a Sheep Sturgeon glue

Possibly

14th c

 164 S Ecru linen S/3-ply 70–90 n.a n.a Sheep Sturgeon glue
Italy 14th c 1902-1-262_1 S Ecru linen S/2-ply 40–60 n.a n.a Sheep Sturgeon glue + Cattle hide glue*
1902-1-262_2 n.a Leaf II.1.b Sheep Sturgeon glue
1902-1-262_3 n.a n.a n.a Sheep Sturgeon glue
1902-1-271a_1 S Ecru linen S/3-ply n.a Leaf II.1.b n.a n.a
1902-1-271a_2 n.a n.a n.a Sheep Sturgeon glue
1902-1-271a_3 95–120 n.a n.a Sheep Sturgeon glue
1902-1-272_1 S Ecru linen S/3-ply 25–45 n.a n.a Sheep Sturgeon glue
1902-1-272_2 n.a Leaf II.1.b n.a n.a
1902-1-273a S Yellow silk S/2-ply n.a Leaf II.1.a Sheep Sturgeon glue
1902-1-273b S Yellow silk S/2-ply 80–130 n.a n.a Sheep Sturgeon glue
1902-1-292a S Ecru linen S/3-ply 65–75 Leaf II.1.b Sheep Sturgeon glue
1902-1-292b S Ecru linen S/3-ply 95–110 Leaf II.1.b Sheep Sturgeon glue
14th–15th c 1902-1-285_1 (gold) S Ecru linen S/3-ply 90–130 Leaf II.1.b Sheep Sturgeon glue
1902-1-285_2 (gold) n.a n.a n.a Sheep Sturgeon glue
possibly Spain 15th c 1902-1-251_1 S Ecru linen S/2-ply 40–50 Leaf II.1.b n.a n.a
1902-1-251_2 n.a n.a n.a Sheep Sturgeon glue
Far East 13th c D13a Flat Strip 70–100 Leaf II.1.a Sheep Sturgeon glue

Mongol-ruled territories (Central Asia, Mongolia, China) manufacture: Sheep leather strip, flat strip

Main adhesive: sturgeon glue
China P4c Flat Strip 70–85 Leaf II.1.a Sheep Sturgeon glue
P4d Flat Strip 110–130 Leaf II.1.b Sheep Sturgeon glue
Spain or Iran 14th c 1902-1-233 Flat Strip 85–100 Leaf II.3 Sheep Sturgeon glue
Central Asia/Northern China 1862:16 I Flat Strip 165–210 Leaf II.1.a Sheep Sturgeon glue + Cattle hide glue*
1862:16 II Flat Strip n.a Leaf II.1.b Sheep Sturgeon glue
1862:16 III (front) Flat Strip 105–150 Leaf II.1.c Sheep Sturgeon glue + Horse hide glue*
1862:16 III (back) Leaf III
1862:16 IV (front) Flat Strip n.a Leaf II.2.a Sheep Sturgeon glue + Horse hide glue*
1862:16 IV (back) Leaf III
1862:16 V Flat Strip 265–290 Leaf I Sheep Sturgeon glue + Wheat

n.a = not analyzed. * Identified as hide glue based on the presence of collagen type III markers (see SI_Proteomics Identification in Skins). Metal coating groups correspond to: I (silver), II (gold) and III (gilt-silver). Group II’s sub-groups are defined according to the gold content in weight percentage (wt%) and purity in carats (k): sub-group II.1a-c (almost pure gold) from 23.94 k to 23.16 k, sub-group II.2a-c (gold-silver alloy) from 22.66 k to 19.74 k), and sub-group II.3 (gold-silver-copper alloy) at 17.43 k. The analytical notation of the fibrous core indicates the twist of the core, and the number of yarns that make it up. The spin direction of individual yarns was not always clearly identified, and thus not reported in the results.