Identification of the Pigments on the Mural Paintings from an Ancient Chinese Tomb of Tang Dynasty Using Micro-Raman and Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy Analysis

The tomb of Hanxiu, a prime minister of the Tang dynasty who died in 740 CE, was decorated with elaborate mural paintings. The pigments used in the mural paintings were collected from representative colours before a restoration process and analyzed using micro-Raman and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analysis to characterize the chemical compositions. The results reveal the chromatic palette and the painting technique used in the mural paintings. Most of the pigments are natural mineral pigments similar to those excavated in previous archaeological works, except the yellow pigment is unusual. A rare mineral pigment, vanadinite [Pb5(VO4)3Cl], was employed in a large amount as the yellow pigment. This phenomenon was analyzed and compared with tomb mural paintings from varied periods and locations in ancient China. Notably, the identification of vanadinite via Raman spectra has to be performed carefully and combined with an elemental analysis to avoid misidentification.

Automated summary

This study analyzed the chemical compositions of mural paintings in the tomb of a prime minister from the Tang dynasty. The results revealed the pigments used and the painting technique, with the use of a rare mineral pigment, vanadinite, for the yellow color. The findings contribute to our understanding of ancient Chinese painting techniques and pigment usage.