4 Material und Umwelt
Filtern
Erscheinungsjahr
- 2020 (4) (entfernen)
Dokumenttyp
- Zeitschriftenartikel (2)
- Buchkapitel (2)
Sprache
- Englisch (4)
Schlagworte
- Archaeometry (4) (entfernen)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
- 4.5 Kunst- und Kulturgutanalyse (4) (entfernen)
This work presents a spectroscopic study of metallic pigments and metal foils used in reverse glass paintings that were created between 1912 and 1954. Metallic pigments induce a notable sparkling effect by means of the lateral incidence of light, whereas metal foils enhance the gloss and create a glittering effect when the painting is viewed in reflected light. Both effects were desired features especially in modern reverse paintings on glass and applied by artists in manifold creative manner. The paper gives an overview on the composition of the metalfoils and metal pigments in 14 works as determined in situ by X-ray spectrometry. Metal foils made of tin, brass, aluminium and silver were found in nine paintings. Gold imitating Cu-Zn pigments in different hues and with various Cu/Zn net intensity ratios were recorded for six paintings. Silvery pigments were identified mainly as Al pigments, but also as Cu-Zn-Ni alloy in one case. Other uncommon metallic pigments were detected in Arlequin vindicatif (c. 1925) by Floris Jespers, who used not only Cu-Zn and Al pigments, but also brownish Cu and Cu-Zn-Sn pigments. Non-invasive diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) was used to classify the binding media of the metallic pigments. Drying oil and natural resin probably mixed with oil were the most common binding media. A polysaccharide-based binder was found in the silvery Cu-Zn-Ni pigment of Ohne Titel (1954) by Marianne Uhlenhuth.
The Montserrat Codex Miscellaneus (TM 59453/LDAB 552) has been the subject of numerous studies since the publication of ist first text by its owner, father Ramon Roca-Puig. Scholars have dealt with the content of its texts, as well as interrogated its origin and materiality. It is a fourth-century papyrus single quire codex, which contains texts in both Latin and Greek. It has been argued that it belonged to the Bodmer library, connected to a Pachomian library in the Thebaid. In this paper we want to contribute to the material study of the codex by presenting the first results of an archaeometric analysis performed upon the inks. The Analysis was carried out within the framework of the ‘PAThs’ project based at Sapienza University of Rome, and executed with the close cooperation of DVCTVS, a team of scholars who curate the Roca-Puig collection. The results obtained have not only cast light on the history of production of the codex, but also, and perhaps most importantly, point out that a meaningful interpretation of the analytical data is only possible through an interdisciplinary collaboration between the humanities and the natural sciences.
An interdisciplinary approach to the study of manuscript traditions is here applied to the analysis of the leaves from the White Monastery, one of the greatest centres of literary production in Late Antique Egypt. In the framework of the ‘PAThs’ project, archaeometric analyses complement the information pieced together by a range of disciplines in the field of humanities. The use of different complementary analytical techniques provides information on the type of ink used and its elemental composition, unveiling interesting details regarding the materials and methodology of manufacturing of writing media. Moreover, this contribution takes a step forward and discusses the possible existence of a regional arrangement in the elemental composition revealed in the inks studied.
We present here our methodological approach applied to the study of Egyptian inks in Late Antiquity. It is based on an interdisciplinary strategy, bringing together a variety of disciplines from humanities and natural sciences, and it aims at systematically collecting a statistically relevant amount of data regarding the composition of the inks. The application of a wellestablished, non-invasive protocol that includes near-infrared imaging and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for in situ measurements enables the identification and characterisation of inks dating from the end of Late Antiquity onwards. However, sometimes this method limits our understanding when characterising more ancient inks. Trying to overcome these limitations, the potential of a new device for the characterisation of organic compounds is here explored by conducting preliminary tests on mock samples.
In this work, we present the results from 77 codicological units that include some of the earliest manuscripts of our corpus that presently lists 159 units.