Abstract
Oriental lacquer artefacts represent very interesting objects of investigation, involving a huge variety of materials and manufacturing techniques. Lacquers are very attractive not only for their stylistic features but also for understanding the variety of production processes, time evolution, use and artistic applications involved in their manufacturing. Till recently, the research activity on these materials has been mainly based on standard, more or less invasive, analytical methods. With the aim to characterise a nineteenth century Japanese lacquer in a totally non-invasive and non-destructive way, in situ X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and neutron radiography (NR) have been employed. While XRF suggested an identification of the pigments embedded into superficial layers, NR allowed revealing, in a single measurement, the average bulk properties of the sample.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beer (1852) Bestimmung der Absorption des rothen Lichts in farbigen Flüssigkeiten (Determination of the absorption of red light in colored liquids). Annalen der Physik und Chemie 162(5):78–88
Brommelle NS, Smith P (eds) (1988) Urushi: proceedings of the Urushi Study Group (June 10–27, 1985 Tokyo). Getty Conservation Institutes, Marina del Rey
Burmester A (1982) Chemometrische Bewertung komplexer analytischer Befunde-Pyrolyse-Massenspektrometrie an ostasiatischen Lacken, Lecture, Berlin 1982
Clarke H, Dougall J (1817) The cabinet of the arts: or, general instructor in arts, science, trade, practical machinery, the means of preserving human life, and political economy. T. Kinnersley, London
Dierick M, Masschaele B, Van Hoorebeke L (2004) Octopus, a fast and user-friendly tomographic reconstruction package developed in LabView. Measurement Science & Technology 15(7):1366–1370
Domanus JC, Commission of the European Communities, Euratom. Neutron Radiography Working Group (1992) Practical neutron radiography. Kluwer, Dordrecht
Failla D (1996) Lacche Orientali del Museo Chiossone, catalogo mostra, Palazzo Ducale. Edizioni De Luca, Roma, pp 11–30
Gettens RJ, Stout GL (1966) Painting materials: a short encyclopaedia, 2nd edn. Dover, New York
Giller L, Filges U, Kühne G, Wohlmuther M, Zanini L (2008) Validation of Monte-Carlo simulations with measurements at the ICON beam-line at SINQ. Nuclear Inst and Methods in Physics Research A 586:59–63
Giovannini E, Ridolfi G, Ridolfi S (1999) La tecnica della Fluorescenza a raggi X (X-Ray fluorescence spectrometers encyclopedia of spectroscopy and spectrometry), 2 ed. pp. 2989–2999.
Kenjo T (1976) Some examples of work with the electron probe microanalyser. Archaeometry 5:37–42
Kenjo T (1978) Studies on the analysis of laquer, II. Infra-red spectrometry of lacquer films. Scient Antiq 23:32–39
Kumanotani J, (1976) The chemistry of Japanese lacquer: an ideal model of coatings in future. In: XIII FATIPEC Congress Cannes—Antibes—Juan-les-Pins, Federation d'Association de Techniciens des Industries des Peintures, Vernis, Emaux et Encre d'Imprimerie de l'Europe Continentale, 360–36914
Lambert JH (1760) Photometria sive de mensura et gradibus luminis, colorum et umbrae [Photometry, or, On the measure and gradations of light, colors, and shade]. Eberhardt Klett, Augsburg ("Augusta Vindelicorum")
Lehmann EH, Hartmann S, Speidel MO (2010) Investigation of the content of ancient Tibetan metallic Buddha statues by means of neutron imaging methods. Archaeometry 52(3):416–428
Mannes DC (2009) Non-destructive testing of wood by means of neutron imaging in comparison with similar methods. A Dissertation Submitted To Eth Zurich for the Degree of Doctor of Sciences, Dipl. Forstwirt, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg I
Mantler M, Schreiner M (2000) X-ray fluorescence spectrometry in art and archaeology. X-Ray Spectrom 29:3–17
Oshima R, Yamauchi Y, Watanabe C, Kumanotani J (1985) Enzymic oxidative coupling of urushiol in sap of the lac tree, Rhus vernicifera. Journal of Organic Chemistry 50:2613
Pettersen RC (1984) The chemical composition of wood. In: Rowell R (ed) The chemistry of solid wood. Advances in Chemistry series 207. American Chemical Society, Washington. Chapter 2, pp. 57–126
Reinhammer B (1970) Purification and properties of laccase and stellacyanin from Rhus vernicifera. Biochimica et Acta 205:35–47
Salvato G, Aliotta F, Bartoli L, Grazzi F, Ponterio RC, Tresoldi D, Vasi CS, Zoppi M (2008) Neutron tomography at INES: first experimental results. Il Nuovo Cimento C 31(4):59–65
Seccaroni C (2004) Fluorescenza X—Prontuario per l'analisi XRF portatile applicata a superfici policrome. Nardini, Firenze
Trojek T, Hložek M, Čechák T, Musílek L (2010) X-ray fluorescence analyzers for investigating postmediaeval pottery from Southern Moravia. Appl Radiat Isot 68(4–5):879–883
Van Espen P (2000) ED-XRF spectrum evaluation and quantitative analysis using multivariate and nonlinear techniques. JCPDS 43:560–56915
Vontobel P, Lehmann EH, Hassanein R, Frei G (2006) Neutron tomography: method and applications. Physica B 385–386:475–480
Willis JP, Lachance GR (2004) Comparison between some common influence coefficient algorithms. X Ray Spectroscopy 33:181–188
Winter J (2008) East Asian paintings: materials, structures and deterioration mechanisms. Archetype, Malta
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Salvemini, F., Grazzi, F., Agostino, A. et al. Non-invasive characterization through X-ray fluorescence and neutron radiography of an ancient Japanese lacquer. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 5, 197–204 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-013-0127-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-013-0127-6