Forensic dye analysis in cultural heritage: Unraveling the authenticity of the earliest Persian knotted-pile silk carpet.

The use of forensic dye analysis in the field of cultural heritage is introduced, and a case study is presented determining the dating of a potentially important textile fragment from the Cleveland Museum of Art. The fragment, attributed on stylistic grounds to the 15th century, is purportedly the oldest surviving example of a Persian knotted-pile silk carpet. Raman spectroscopy combined with liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry determined the dyes used in the fragment include Metanil yellow, Congo red, and indigo, possibly in its synthetic form.