Analysis of Protoberberines in Historical Textiles: Determining the Provenance of East Asian Textiles by Analysis of Phellodendron

Species of Phellodendron (Amur cork tree and its relatives) have been used as a source of traditional yellow dyes in East Asia. HPLC analyses of the dye has shown that the relative ratios of palmatine and jatrorrhizine to berberine, (the J/B and P/B ratios) in it, strongly reflect the differences between the species, Phellodendron amurense in Japan and Phellodendron chinense in China, respectively. The provenance can be easily determined by using a scatter diagram of J/B and P/B ratios. This methodology was applied to weaving and embroidery threads from Chinese and Japanese style historical textiles. The results of weaving samples showed that the provenance and the style were accorded, except for one Chinese style textile: the 14th Century Kasaya. It clearly appeared in the Japanese region of the diagrams, leading to the conclusion that it originated in Japan. Regarding the embroidery threads in historical textiles, most results reflected each style, but the result of one Japanese style textile appeared in the Chinese region, indicating a trading of dye material or dyed thread from China to Japan in ancient times. Thus, our methodology will be useful for gaining historical information about the techniques and trading of textiles in East Asia.