Optical spectroscopy as a rapid and low-cost tool for the first-line analysis of glass artefacts: a step-by-step plan for Roman green glass

Meulebroeck, Wendy; Cosyns, Peter; Baert, Kitty; Wouters, Hilde; Cagno, Simone; Janssens, Koen; Terryn, Herman; Nys, Karin; Thienpont, Hugo

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2011.04.023

Cited by 27 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…XANES is widely used to determine the speciation and the redox state of TM in glass including ancient glasses . Optical absorption spectroscopy is a key complementary technique that can relate the glass color to glass composition and fabrication conditions …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[18][19][20] Optical absorption spectroscopy is a key complementary technique that can relate the glass color to glass composition and fabrication conditions. 21,22 The present study focuses on a benchmark set of four medieval blue glasses with compositions typical of 12th-13th century glasses. Mn, Fe, and Cu l-K-edge XANES and optical absorption spectra were collected to determine the oxidation state of these elements and their relationship with glass color.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spectroscopic Investigation of the Coloration and Fabrication Conditions of Medieval Blue Glasses

et al. 2015

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Potash‐ and soda‐lime‐stained glasses from the 12th–13th centuries, blue‐colored by cobalt, have been investigated by Mn, Fe, and Cu K‐edge X‐ray and optical absorption spectroscopies in order to determine the oxidation state of these elements and their impact on the blue color. Remelting these historical glasses in air at 1200°C, the estimated temperature of medieval furnaces, revealed that these four glasses are more reduced before remelting. This favors Mn as weakly absorbing Mn2+, Fe as Fe2+ and Cu as colorless Cu+. Therefore Fe2+ is the second blue chromophore and copper was not intentionally used by glassmakers to obtain a blue color. A colorimetric analysis indicates that these specific melting conditions have a limited effect on the blue color of these glasses. Based on the spectroscopic determination of the redox state of Fe, Mn, and Cu, we estimate the oxygen partial pressure in medieval furnaces to be 10−7–10−9 and 10−5 bar for the potash‐ and soda‐lime samples, respectively. The comparison with previous results enables to prove the evolution of furnace technology over centuries.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spectroscopic Investigation of the Coloration and Fabrication Conditions of Medieval Blue Glasses

et al. 2015

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“…In previous publications, our group has showed that some parameters extracted from optical spectra can be helpful in characterizing ancient glass . The identification of the colouring agents gives useful information about the raw materials, and in some cases it can help the dating, such as for the case of chromium coloured glasses .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cobalt absorption bands for the differentiation of historical Na and Ca/K rich glass

Ceglia

Meulebroeck

Baert

et al. 2011

Surface & Interface Analysis

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The main purpose of this publication is to define sensing parameters by means of optical spectroscopy to study and characterize ancient glass. Because during different times different flux agents were used, a chemical individuation of these elements provides a first dating classification. Normally, X-ray-based chemical methods are applied to this kind of investigation. On the basis of the Ligand-field theory, the absorption band positions of a transition metal ion undergo a change when the ion is placed in different chemical environments. A total of 25 cobalt coloured Roman, post-medieval and industrial glasses were analyzed by means of SEM-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to group them according to their chemical composition. Optical spectroscopy was applied to build a method to study glass with this low-cost and nondestructive technique. It is proved that the cobalt absorption band situated around 535.5 nm for sodium-rich glasses (Roman and industrial material) is shifted towards 526.5 nm for calcium-potassium-rich glasses (post-medieval window glass). This feature was employed as a marker in the case study of the Renaissance window of the Church Wardens from the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Belgium to distinguish the post-medieval material from the 19th and 20th century restoration material.

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“…This as a replacement for the electron- or X-ray based analytical techniques such as Wavelength-Dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-WDS), Electron Probe Micro-Analysis (EPMA), or Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) which require expensive laboratory equipment and sample pre-treatment. Technological developments led to the use of handheld X-Ray-Fluorescence (XRF) equipment910, mobile instruments for Raman analysis1112 and portable spectrophotometers13. Our team has proven the advantages of applying UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopy as a first-line analytical technique.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Our team has proven the advantages of applying UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopy as a first-line analytical technique. It is fast and relatively cheap, essentially non-destructive and it can be used in-situ by trained art historians and archaeologists13141516. Since the colouring agent signature depends on the composition of the glass, optical absorption spectroscopy can be used as a first-line technique to unveil information about the glass composition of coloured glasses.…”

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confidence: 99%

Authenticity screening of stained glass windows using optical spectroscopy

Meulebroeck

Wouters

Nys

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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Civilized societies should safeguard their heritage as it plays an important role in community building. Moreover, past technologies often inspire new technology. Authenticity is besides conservation and restoration a key aspect in preserving our past, for example in museums when exposing showpieces. The classification of being authentic relies on an interdisciplinary approach integrating art historical and archaeological research complemented with applied research. In recent decades analytical dating tools are based on determining the raw materials used. However, the traditional applied non-portable, chemical techniques are destructive and time-consuming. Since museums oftentimes only consent to research actions which are completely non-destructive, optical spectroscopy might offer a solution. As a case-study we apply this technique on two stained glass panels for which the 14th century dating is nowadays questioned. With this research we were able to identify how simultaneous mapping of spectral signatures measured with a low cost optical spectrum analyser unveils information regarding the production period. The significance of this research extends beyond the re-dating of these panels to the 19th century as it provides an instant tool enabling immediate answering authenticity questions during the conservation process of stained glass, thereby providing the necessary data for solving deontological questions about heritage preservation.

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Optical spectroscopy as a rapid and low-cost tool for the first-line analysis of glass artefacts: a step-by-step plan for Roman green glass

Cited by 27 publications

References 51 publications

Spectroscopic Investigation of the Coloration and Fabrication Conditions of Medieval Blue Glasses

Spectroscopic Investigation of the Coloration and Fabrication Conditions of Medieval Blue Glasses

Cobalt absorption bands for the differentiation of historical Na and Ca/K rich glass

Authenticity screening of stained glass windows using optical spectroscopy

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