Analysis of the techniques and materials of the coloured paintings in the Renshou Hall in the Summer Palace

Abstract

Only a few published literatures are available on the materials and techniques used for ancient Chinese construction paintings. In this paper, integrated analytical techniques were used to characterize the materials and techniques used in the coloured paintings of the Summer Palace, one of the World Cultural Heritage sites. The analytical techniques include X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and element analysis (EA). This is the first time the content of crude protein in cultural relics has been measured by EA. By means of TGA it was possible to quantitatively determine organics and inorganics in the plaster layer. The study could be a guide for selecting materials and technologies for the restoration of construction paintings.