In the Treatment Ring at the annual WCG Three Ring Circus Event, Janelle Batkin-Hall, Mellon Objects Conservation Fellow at the National Museum of African Art, spoke about her research. Batkin-Hall presented a technical study on the fabric and dye characterization of Roman-Period Dolls from Karanis, Egypt. Eighteen dolls were surveyed: sixteen from a site in Karanis Egypt and two purchased between the years 1924 and 1935 (this date range is for the excavations, not the purchase dates). The (purchased) dolls originate from the Egyptian late antiquity period. While the cultural and historical significance of the dolls remains unknown, these artifacts are thought to have been used for rituals or as teething soothers for infants. The dolls ranged from 3-20cm in length and were made out of strips of dyed and undyed cloth with papyrus, hair, wood, rocks, and sprang (a netting material).
Fabrication analysis was conducted by Batkin-Hall in collaboration with Asher Newsome, Research Scientist at the Museum Conservation Institute. Instrumental analysis was carried out in sequence from preliminary to most conclusive. Visual examination, x-radiography, and CT scans were used to gain information on structural analysis. Polarized light microscopy (PLM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used for material analysis. Lastly, multi-spectral imaging was used for dye analysis. Dye analysis was conducted on the dolls in areas of red, blue, and purple. Infrared false color maps (IRR-FC) were created by combining visible reflectance (VIS) with infrared reflectance (IRR) data. Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) measurements yielded information on the organic dye compound analysis without the need for sample preparation.
The results of the analytical analysis revealed the presence of indigo and possible iron based pigments in the dolls. The identity of the bones used in the fabrication of the purchased dolls were found to be either donkey or cattle. The dolls also had solid crystalline mass which tested positive for chlorine ions, indicating salt was present. These findings are consistent with historical insight. Indigo and iron oxidize dye were known to be used in Egypt at the time. Additionally, the dolls, thought to be teething soothers for infants, would have been soaked in salt (also honey and beer) to entice the child.
In this study, a great deal of technical information on the composition of the bones, hair, and dye of Roman-Period dolls from Egypt was gained.
Summary by Elle Friedberg
