PIXE and μ-PIXE analysis of glazes from terracotta sculptures of the della Robbia workshop

A series of PIXE analyses has been performed on glazes from terracotta sculptures of the Italian Renaissance and on reference standards. The problems related to the investigation of such heterogeneous materials are discussed and the experimental uncertainties are evaluated, for each element, from the PIXE analysis of standard glasses. Some examples from artefacts coming from Italian collections are given. This research has been conducted in the framework of the COST-G1 European action. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.