21st International Congress of Byzantine Studies, London 2006

Communication (VIII.2 Managing the Heritage)

Christos Karydis and Sue Thomas
University of Lincoln, Conservation Unit, UK
Preservation of Ecclesiastical Garments from the Holy Mountain of Athos: ResearchMethodology- Ethical Issues
Keywords
Sakkoi, garments, Holy Mountain of Athos, sacred objects, collection survey,
preventive conservation, textiles.
Abstract
This paper reports on the findings from a survey of a collection of ecclesiastical
garments known as sakkoi from the Holy Mountain of Athos.
It begins with a discussion of nomenclature and addresses the issue prevalent in
Byzantine Studies, as to the derivation of this liturgical garment and applies
approaches ranging from art historic and semiotic to scientific examination using
sophisticated analytical techniques, to place it in a cultural, historic and technological
context.
The Athos collection, previously un-researched, dates from 15th to 19th century and
contains robes worn by Bishops, Patriarchs and Emperors. The survey, which
examines 52 separate items from 14 monasteries, identifies constructional and
stylistic detail, material components and technological evidence such as fibres, metal
threads, dyes and weaving techniques, whilst analysing sources of degradation and
damage. This paper demonstrates not only the scope of the survey methodology for
elucidating new information about specific items but also its potential to add to the
body of knowledge relating to the history, development and use of such garments.
One purpose of the original study was to enable intellectual access to this closed
collection and the mechanism for disseminating this information and its relevance to
current understanding will also be discussed. Attention will also be focussed on
approaches to preventative conservation that can be adopted to preserve this as a
living collection, including guidelines for the continuing use of certain of the
garments. The spiritual dimension of these artefacts is thus discussed within the
framework of conservation ethics.
Background
The Holy Mountain of Athos is a major centre of Orthodox Christian religion with
over 20 large, occupied and active monasteries remaining today. Not surprisingly, it
houses rich collections of ecclesiastical material, including both hierarchical
vestments (those worn by the priest during important ceremonies such as Mass) and
liturgical vestments (those used during sacred moments of the service). The
collections are overseen by the 10th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities, for the
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Ministry of Culture but are, as yet, under or un-researched. The findings reported in
this paper demonstrate the scope of this investigation, whilst illustrating the potential
for detailed analysis of specific important items.
Sakkoi: Technical investigation
Every garment expresses something of the character of the social group from which it
originates. The distinctive sartorial and decorative features of each costume express a
groups particular aesthetic sensibility; it codifies information about the wearers
economic and professional standing, age and specific roles in the family and local
society.
As a garment, the sakkos passed through a number of developmental stages, starting
firstly as an every day Greek garment, secondly as a Roman garment, thirdly as a
Byzantine imperial garment and fourthly, by the 11th century, it had been adopted by
the Patriarch of Constantinople to indicate his status and privilege.
The cut of the sakkos is a simple T shape consisting of two main sections, one front
and one back, having a space for the head at the top and arms to both sides. Sources
suggest the derivation of the term relates to the tradition assigned to the Hebrew word
saq, a garment of repentancei. The need for members of the Church to differentiate
themselves from other social groups and state their position within an empire, in
which dress played the role of identity card, goes back to the first centuries of
Christianity. Depictions of Bishops wearing sakkoi are commonly found in icons and
wall paintings. In the 14th century during the Palaiologian period, where Christ
depicted as a High Priest, he is shown wearing a sakkos. (Papamastorakis: 1994).
The materials generally found in the manufacture and decoration of sakkoi in the
Byzantine and post-Byzantine periods are woven silk with decoration of gold and
silver threads with linen linings. Frequently, designs were embroidered or
alternatively woven to produce geometric repeat motifs in rows or circular
medallions. The patterns include single crosses within a circle, flowers and trees, such
as the Root of Isaac or the Tree of Jesus with the Apostles. Jesus appears as a
shepherd on the reverse of the vestments and figures of saints are frequently depicted.
Painted figures on canvas or wooden supports can also be attached to the original
surface. (Karydis: 2002)

The colour of the vestment is also significant, with certain colours being associated
with particular services or parts of the Orthodox calendar. For instance, white and red
are associated with Easter; black and purple with Good Friday and funerals; white,
green and blue with baptism, feasts of the Virgin Mary and certain other saints.
Like other Orthodox items, these historic sakkoi are more than just antiquities to
believers; they symbolise a living spiritual embodiment of religious import. They are
venerated by the faithful and, like icons, are touched, kissed and worshipped; relics
are frequently sought. Some of the historic sakkoi in the Mount Athos collections are
still used today in specific services and ceremonies. In the past on-going repair was
also common, leading to interesting alterations and additions.
The use of these garments has frequently led to specific types of degradation, for
instance wax stains and burn marks, together with characteristic fold marksii which
are found in addition to those normally associated with the materials concerned.
Conservation Survey
The athonian garments had not been previously documented and the first stage of this
research was to design pro forma to record all details related to materials, manufacture
and condition. This record includes detailed information regarding: materials;
technological and constructional details; alterations and repair during use; previous
restorations and condition assessment. This, together with systematic illustrative
material, in the form of drawings, photographs and photomicrographs, has been
designed to contribute to the preservation of these artefacts, serving also as a
surrogate to reduce the need for future handling. Moreover, it facilitates access for
female researchers to this important collection.
Samples of fibres from a total of 52 historic sakkoi, have been taken from damaged
areas and microscopic examination and identification has been undertaken. This has
been supported by further Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) investigation of
metal threadsiii and High Liquid Performance Chromatography (HLPC) which is used
for the separation and identification organic compounds, such as dyesiv. Samples were
firstly examined under high magnification using a stereo microscope; this enabled
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identification of the fibre. The use of S.E.M has provided information about the
structure the quantity and quality of the metal compounds used in the manufacture of
the metal threads. Using this technique, a sample can be magnified 3 to 6 thousand
times with minimal loss of resolution and therefore details or defects in the metal
threads which are not otherwise visible can be observed. The main metals identified in
the decorative threads are gold, silver and copper. Generally the construction found
uses thin sheets of gold or silver cut into narrow strips and wound around a fibrous
silk. H.P.L.C identifies organic compounds, degradation products and dyes. The main
dyes, so far identified in samples taken from the most important sakkoi of Mount
Athos are sappanwood, indigo, lac and cochineal.
Outcomes
The scope of the survey and subsequent scientific analysis is very broad and final
analysis is intended to lead to knowledge in the following areas:

Manufacture: comparison of binding systems; exploration of possible signatures

leading to identification of provenance of specific workshopsv.

Stylistic development: design and constructional modifications over time

(possibly leading to a dating typology).

Evaluations of historic repairs and alterations whilst in use.

Identification of deterioration patterns, recommendations for preventive care,

display and use, if appropriate.

Additions to information already known and to be found in monastic archives. For

instance historical context, attribution and function.

Underpinning the practical elements of this study is the assumption that these
ecclesiastical garments are more than just artefacts. The spiritual value of the sakkoi
are a result of theological debates within the Orthodox Church and these in turn
present ethical considerations for all stages from their initial manufacture to any
conservation work that may undergo. (Chantzidaki: 1953; Kourkoula: 1960)
Preventive Conservation
The development of preventative strategies for the textile collections long term use is
essential because of its historical uniqueness. A comprehensive conservation

programme, in order to be successful, must involve three interrelated activities such

as: documentation, research and preventive treatment. Preventive conservation can be
defined as any measure that prevents damage or reduces the potential for it (Knell:
1997). It deals with the prevention of deterioration of the collection as a whole, rather
than the treatment of individual items after they deteriorate.
Preventive care begins with appropriate collection management. In the case of the
Holy Mountain of Athos, the development of a preventive conservation programme
also requires from the monks to develop an understanding of the deterioration factors
that cause changes in a textile collections.
The current environmental conditions of the storage and display areas of the
monasteries of Holy Mountain of Athos are very poor. The textiles are susceptible to
damage by various pollutant agents such as acidic gasses released from the wooden
show cases, fluctuations of relative humidity and temperature, exposure to UV and
high light levels, pest infestation. Optimum conditions for all component materials
such as fabric, dyes and metal threads need to be created and ongoing checks made
on the condition of the garments.

The first book on this topic written in Greek

was recently published to advise

ecclesiastical custodians, such as the monks from Mount Athos, as well as students in
the fields of conservation and archaeology, curators and others having limited
experience in the preservation of textiles.
Conclusion
Ecclesiastical textiles are the garments which, on the one hand, define the identity of a
religious, traditional society and on the other express the relationship between church
and faith. These garments are symbols of communal spiritual belief and their status
does not relate solely to the identity of the person who originally wore them. Thus, a
major assumption of this study is that the use of vestments during the Service of
Divine Liturgy conveys to the believer fundamental values of Orthodox Christianity,

Karydis, C. 2006. Introduction to the Preventive Conservation of Textile Artefacts. Athens: Futura
Publications

by recreating the atmosphere of the Holy Event and through it the glorification of
God.
It is accepted that some of the sakkoi in the Mount Athos collections are likely to be
used in the future. In this situation, it is the role of the conservator to recommend
strategies, which will prolong the life of the artefact, whilst allowing it to be used
for the purposes demanded by the Church, as custodian. Recommendations can be
readily made for storage, display; access and handling that take account of this
specific situation.
In terms of conservation treatment, however, there are many dilemmas to be
addressed. Cleaning can be seen to be a very controversial issue, as stains and other
residues may have sacred connections. For instance, can the conservator justify
removal of perspiration stains from a garment that once belonged to a saint? The way
that the garments have been folded is a cause of damage but these acts as evidence of
monastic practices and may be important in preserving spiritual dimensions
encompassed by the object. Alterations are also an area for further consideration;
from the conservators point of view, they may be kept to tell the full story of the
object but from a spiritual perspective their safeguarding or removal may be
immaterial. Interventive approaches may, therefore, be likely to focus on stabilisation
and strengthening processes, supported by guidelines for handling and robbing when
is in use.

Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank all the abbots and monks from Holy Mountain of Athos
who helped with suggestions and give permission for this research. The research is
funded by the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church and supported by the 10th
Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities. Dr. Ioannis Karapanagiotis for his valuable help
and experience of identifying historical dyes and Anna Karatzani for the analysis of
the metal threads. Thanks are also due to curators, conservators and historians all over
the world who helped in this research: (Benaki Museum, Canadian Conservation
Institute, College of Arms in London, Maintenance and Research Centre of Irans
Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New
York, University of Toulouse, Victoria & Albert Museum, Whitworth Art GalleryUniversity of Manchester).
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Endnotes
1. Sakkos symbolise the red tunics worn by the Roman soldiers when humiliating
Christ before His Crucifixion (Theochari: 1986; Korre- Zografou: 1895)
2. The folding methods used by the clergy for the storage of sakkoi have caused
specific crease patterns leading to further damage in the fabric structure and
the metal threads located in these areas. There appear to be two distinct
methods of folding. In the first, sleeves and side sections are folded towards
the centre to give a rectangular shape, which is then folded in three. The
second system differs in that the rectangle is folded along the centre of the
garment, producing the fold pattern evident in the two case studies.
3. SEM will reveal elemental analysis and morphology of the metal threads and
is being undertaken by Anna Karatzani, PhD conservation researcher, Institute
of Archaeology, University College London.
4. With the collaboration of Dr. Ioannis Karapanagiotis, Ormylia Diagnostic Art
Centre, Chalkidiki, Greece.
5. Ecclesiastical weaving and embroidery workshops were established in several
places such as in Constantinople, Bursa and Trapezounta in Turkey, Meteora,
Thessalonica, Hios, Peloponnes, Crete in Greece, Vienna and Lyons.
References
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(Athens, 2006)
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