Laursen Returns to Iran to Lecture on Ancient Textile Dyes

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Professor Laursen (center) with students at the Zanjan Branch, Islamic Azad University (Iran), where he lectured in April 2015

Professor Emeritus Richard Laursen‘s research on the analysis of vegetable dyes has taken him to many parts of the world.  Using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array and mass spectrometric detection, his work has helped to identify the plant sources of many of the colors used in ancient textile fibers and given insights into the stability of colors over time.  His research expertise first took him to Iran in 2005, where he had the opportunity to examine antique rugs in the private collection of Miri Iranian Knots, a leading producer  of handmade rugs since 1820. 

This April, Professor Laursen returned to Iran to give a lecture on the “Analysis of Dyes in Ancient Textiles” at several universities and museums in Iran, including  Islamic Azad University, Scientific Research Branch (Tehran);  Islamic Azad University, Zanjan Branch (Zanjan); University of Zanjan (Zanjan); Tabriz Islamic Art University (Tabriz); Astan Quds Razavi Museum (Mashhad); and the Hakim Sabzevari University (Sabzevar).  Professor Laursen noted many changes in the decade since he last went to Iran, including the increasing number of women college students.