Dataset supporting the identification of natural dyes in yellow, orange, brown and green fibres from Krakow liturgical vestments.

This data article provides an extensive and complete description of the colorants and dyes identified in fibre samples taken from the historical textiles that were described in the article "Universal analytical method for characterization of yellow and related natural dyes in liturgical vestments from Krakow" by K. Lech [1]. Natural organic dyes, for centuries used to dye fibres, contain usually from a few to several dyeing compounds. The correct identification of the dye requires at first the identification of their colouring components using sensitive and selective analytical techniques. One of this technique is high-performance liquid chromatography combined with spectrophotometric detection and detection using tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization (HPLC-UV-Vis-ESI MS/MS). The HPLC-UV-Vis-ESI MS/MS protocol was used to identify natural dyes present in 89 yellow, orange, brown and green fibres taken from 15th- to 17th-century silk textiles used in vestments belonging to the collections of seventeen churches in Krakow, Poland.