Abstract
As a precious treasure in the history of Chinese architecture, Chinese ancient architectural colored drawing is an important cultural heritage. Knowing exactly the pigment composition in the ancient architectural colored drawing is of great significance to understand and protection of the cultural relic. The in-situ measurement was carried out on the pigments used in the ancient architecture colored drawing in the Altar of Agriculture (Beijing, China) for the first time by Portable Raman spectroscopy and hand-held x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The components of the typical pigments, such as red, green, blue, white and black in the colored drawings were studied by spectral analysis and the relationship between the color and material composition of the pigments, including red lead (Pb3O4), massicot (PbO), carbon black (amorphous C), lead white (PbCO3∙Pb(OH)2), indigo (C16H10N2O2), and atacamite (Cu2(OH)3Cl) were established as well. According to the application history of the pigments and the records of the Altar of Agriculture, these colored drawings could be dated to the Qianlong period. Information about these pigments can help preserve and restore architectural drawings in the Altar of Agriculture (Beijing, China) as well as the architectural colored drawings in other Chinese ancient architecture.
Study on the Pigments of Chinese Ancient Architectural Colored Drawing in the Altar of Agriculture (Beijing, China) by portable Raman Spectroscopy and Hand-held X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry