Search

The libraries of the Fatimid caliphs in Egypt (r. 969–1171) are known to have been extraordinarily large, containing hundreds of thousands of volumes on all branches of knowledge. Of these fabled manuscripts, only a handful are known to survive. It has long been assumed that a substantial number of the secular manuscripts would have been illustrated, as many later Islamic manuscripts are illustrated, but no examples are known to have survived, although somewhat more than 150 paper fragments bearing images have been attributed to the period, as well as representations in other media, ranging from carved ivories to ceramics. In the absence of surviving illustrated manuscripts, scholars have deployed several strategies to attempt to reconstruct the lost art of painting in the Fatimid period, most notably Richard Ettinghausen in his seminal 1942 article "Painting in the Fatimid Period" and Ernst Grube in a subsequent series of articles and chapters. This article examines the evidence and explores how scholars have interpreted it within the broader contexts of representation and manuscript illustration in Islamic art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bomb-peak signal preserved in the Arches® cotton paper was used to detect art forgeries imitating the work of Chinese artist T'ang Haywen (1927–1991). The dating of seven legitimate T'ang Haywen art pieces showed that the timing of the paper production was consistent with the artist's use of Arches® paper starting in the early 1980s. The measured F14C of the paper from the 14 suspected forged paintings shows that the support material was produced in the last decade (2008–2011), therefore the art pieces could not be genuine T'ang Haywen works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a case study to assess the possibilities and limitations of determining the exact age of paper, we measured radiocarbon (14C) concentrations in bulk-paper cellulose and starch extracts from 20 known-age paper samples of the last 65 yr. As expected, 14C concentrations in single-seasonal grown starch extracts are in reasonably good agreement with post-bomb atmospheric 14C. In contrast, 14C concentrations in bulk-paper cellulose indicate apparent admixtures of tree-ring fibers spanning up to >50 yr. In a forensic investigation, combining 14C results from single-seasonal components like starch with those from long-lived fibers, could potentially enhance the precision of paper production-date estimates for samples made after 1955. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid material based on halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) and sodium perfluorooctanoate (NaPF8) was used as a consolidant for paper treatment. The consolidation efficiency was determined by thermogravimetry as well as by paper grammage determination. Morphological analysis of the treated paper was performed by means of scanning electron microscopy while the effect of modified HNTs on the thermal behaviour of the cellulose fibres was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry which determined the combustion enthalpy of the paper.Water contact angle measurements were performed to study the paper wettability. The physico-chemical properties investigated (mesoscopic structure, thermal stability and wettability) of the treated paper were correlated successfully with the consolidation loading and, consequently, to the affinity between the fluorinated modified HNTs and the fibrous cellulose structure. This study proposes a new green protocol for paper consolidation based on natural tubular nanoparticles with a flame retardant effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the clinical effect of lens cleaning paper patching on traumatic eardrum perforations., Methods: A total of 122 patients were divided into 2 groups, of which 56 patients were treated with lens cleaning paper patching and 66 acted as controls. The closure rate and healing time were compared between the two groups., Results: The healing rate of small perforations was 96.4 per cent (27 out of 28) in the patching group and 90 per cent (27 out of 30) in the control group. The difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The healing rate of large perforations was 89.3 per cent (25 out of 28) and 80.6 per cent (29 out of 36) in the two groups, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The healing time of large perforations was shorter in the patching group than in the control group (p < 0.01)., Conclusion: Patching with lens cleaning paper under an endoscope can accelerate the closure of large traumatic eardrum perforations.