The use of metal threads and decorations in Byzantine-Greek Orthodox ecclesiastical textiles

Gold threads, like silk, are luxury materials engated in the manufacture of the finest and most expensive fabrics. While the use of metal threads in European and Near-Eastern fabrics has been the subject of detailed analytical investigation, few studies have focused on the nature of Byzantine-Greek metal threads. The aim of this research is to identify the morphological and technological characteristics of the metal threads used for the decoration of Greek Orthodox ecclesiastical textiles between the 13th and the 19th centuries.