Multi-faceted analysis reveals the characteristics of silk fabrics on a Liao Dynasty DieXie belt

Abstract The Liao Dynasty’s highly developed textile industry was characterized as “the best in the world” in ancient Chinese literature. This study analyzed two textiles on a 蹀躞 (DieXie) belt excavated from the No.1 Liao Dynasty noble tomb of Zhangjiayao Forest (Shenyang, China), with one wrapping around the leather belt (T1) and the other on the surface of a leather pouch hanging on the belt (X1). They were identified as silk based on structures by morphological observation and chemical components revealed by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Proteomics and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to investigate the animal origin of the silk, and the original color and dyestuffs of T1 were examined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS). The results have shown that T1 consists of three layers of Bombyx mori silk plain fabric, and its original color was yellow-red dyed with madder and plants containing flavonoid dyeing tissue, consistent with the color of DieXie belts recorded in the ancient literature. The silk on the pouch is a layer of plain fabric, while the upper layer is embroidery on the Four-end-complex gauze, which was made of twisted Bombyx mori silk. We believe that the silk wrapping around the leather belt was to provide additional comfort and aesthetics after dyeing while protecting the leather, which is prone to warping and moisture. This study suggests that such silk fabrics with high specifications are one of the manifestations of the distinguished status of the tomb owner. The integration of various analytical methods on ancient silk fabrics enables us to learn various information about their textile forms, silk animal origins, colors and dyestuffs, revealing the highly developed silk waving techniques and prosperous costume culture of the Liao Dynasty.