Polychromy in Africa Proconsularis: investigating Roman statues using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

Viguerie, Laurence de; Neri, Elisabetta; Nasr, Nesrine; Walter, Philippe; Bejaoui, Fathi; Baratte, François

doi:10.15184/aqy.2016.250

Cited by 16 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…For the Fe-rich yellows and reds, it appears that the latter have been prepared with an As-rich ochre, whereas yellow is As-free (Figure 6a), similarly to what observed in House of Marcus Lucretius and House of Gilded Cupids in Pompeii (38). Mimetite (Pb 5 (AsO 4 ) 3 Cl) and vanadinite (Pb 5 (VO 4 ) 3 Cl), containing As and V respectively, have been confirmed in lead ore deposits but also in ironrich soils (ochres) (39,40).…”

Section: Portable Instrumentationsupporting

confidence: 70%

“…The lead presence in yellows does not correspond in the vibrational spectra, probably due to the very few samples that could be brought to the laboratory and to the di culties of obtaining Raman spectra in situ. It seems worth to note that these two points (12 and 13, Figure 3), both belonging to the Sphinx, show the signal of lead, as well as of As and V, which are positively correlated with Pb in the Pb-rich yellow, orange and red pigments, possibly indicating the use of a lead ore with mimetite and vanadinite (39). Pb-orange has higher Sn in comparison to the yellows, which has been highlighted as a possible marker for red lead as a by-product of Spanish silver smelting activities (41).…”

Section: North Wallmentioning

confidence: 92%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Integrated analytical approach to unveil the secrets of the recently discovered “Sphinx Room”: a new piece of Domus Aurea puzzle.

Caggiani

Coccato

Mazzoleni

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The recent discovery of the Sphinx Room, belonging to the Domus Aurea Esquiline wing, thanks to the framework given by the project “Non-destructive analytical studies at Parco Archeologico del Colosseo (Rome, Italy)”, allowed to perform an analytical campaign, both in situ and on micro-fragments. The first aim was the archaeometrical characterisation of the painting materials. In fact, the analytical information on the wall decorations contributes to the overall comprehension of this extraordinary imperial architecture, and allows to contextualize the newly-discovered room inside the Domus Aurea complex. Moreover, further knowledge on the painting technique is achieved, which is of relevance for the general understanding of Roman mural decorations. The palette, composed of Egyptian blue, green earths, iron- and lead-based red, orange and yellow, calcite, carbon black, allowed to compare the Sphinx Room to Corridor 92 and Room 114 of Domus Aurea and to other sites in Rome. Furthermore, the employ of an organic binder in some spots can be put forward based on spectroscopic results, which does not exclude a wider use of the a fresco. Furthermore, a complementary methodological strategy was designed, in order to achieve a complete characterization of the materials. In addition to the well-known combination of in situ Raman and X-ray fluorescence analyses, Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy was used, both in situ (Diffuse Reflectance) and in the lab (Attenuated Total Reflectance). The results confirm the suitability of this approach for the characterization of Roman wall paintings, where both inorganic and organic materials are simultaneously present.

show abstract

Section: Portable Instrumentationsupporting

confidence: 70%

Section: North Wallmentioning

confidence: 92%

Integrated analytical approach to unveil the secrets of the recently discovered “Sphinx Room”: a new piece of Domus Aurea puzzle.

Caggiani

Coccato

Mazzoleni

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It seems worth to note that these two Pb-yellows and orange (points 12 and 13, Fig. 4), both belonging to the Sphinx, show the signal of lead, as well as of As, possibly indicating the use of a lead ore with mimetite (Pb 5 (AsO 4 ) 3 Cl) [78]. Pb-orange has remarkable Sn, which has been highlighted as a possible marker for red lead as a by-product of Spanish silver smelting activities [79].…”

Section: North Wallmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated analytical approach to unveil the secrets of the recently discovered “Sphinx Room”: a new piece of Domus Aurea puzzle

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The recent discovery of the Sphinx Room, belonging to the Domus Aurea Esquiline wing, thanks to the framework given by the project “Non-destructive analytical studies at Parco Archeologico del Colosseo (Rome, Italy)”, allowed to perform an analytical campaign, both in situ and on micro-fragments. The first aim was to contribute to the overall comprehension of the Domus Aurea complex and to contextualize the newly-discovered room inside this extraordinary imperial architecture by means of an archaeometrical characterisation of the painting materials. The palette, composed of Egyptian blue, green earths, iron- and lead-based red, orange and yellow, calcite, carbon-based black, allowed to compare the Sphinx Room to Corridor 92 and Room 114 of Domus Aurea and to other sites in Rome. Furthermore, the employ of an organic binder in some spots can be put forward based on spectroscopic results, which does not exclude a wider use of the a fresco. Furthermore, a complementary methodological strategy was designed, in order to achieve a complete characterization of the materials. In addition to the well-known combination of portable X-ray fluorescence and portable/laboratory Raman analyses, Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy was used, both in situ (Diffuse Reflectance) and in the lab (Attenuated Total Reflectance). The results confirm the suitability of this approach for the characterization of Roman wall paintings, where both inorganic and organic materials are simultaneously present.

show abstract

“…It might be that here, a pigment gained from haematite and minium, called sandyx by Pliny the Elder, was used. [31,32] However, the lead pigment originally used here could also be lead white (basic PbCO 3 ), red lead (Minium, Pb 3 O 4 ), or yellow (Massicot or Litharge, PbO), but it is not unlikely that the centre of the flower was highlighted in yellow or orange.…”

Section: Band Of Flowers Under the Central Loculusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of the pigment use in the Tomb of the Reliefs and other tombs in the Etruscan Banditaccia Necropolis

et al. 2018

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The pigment use in the Tomb of the Reliefs (fourth century BC) and four other tombs (seventh to fourth century BC) in the Etruscan Banditaccia Necropolis near Cerveteri, Italy, has been investigated. We made use of X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) and Raman spot analysis, XRF imaging, infrared luminescence and photography supported by Dstretch contrast enhancement. We identified the use of haematite, goethite, calcite, carbon black, manganese oxide, Tyrian purple, and Egyptian blue, with the last three only found under the central burial place of the Tomb of the Reliefs. The tuff in which these tombs were cut proved to be a significant challenge for XRF analysis as the signals of Ca, Mn, and Fe vary strongly due to the heterogeneity of the stone, so that it is difficult to distinguish between signals from the tuff and the pigments. Finally, we show that lightweight instruments transported in check‐in luggage may not answer all questions on pigment use but do provide additional insights.

show abstract

Polychromy in Africa Proconsularis: investigating Roman statues using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

Abstract: Abstract

Cited by 16 publications

References 15 publications

Integrated analytical approach to unveil the secrets of the recently discovered “Sphinx Room”: a new piece of Domus Aurea puzzle.

Integrated analytical approach to unveil the secrets of the recently discovered “Sphinx Room”: a new piece of Domus Aurea puzzle.

Integrated analytical approach to unveil the secrets of the recently discovered “Sphinx Room”: a new piece of Domus Aurea puzzle

Investigation of the pigment use in the Tomb of the Reliefs and other tombs in the Etruscan Banditaccia Necropolis

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About