Material and Microstructure Analysis of Wood Color Paintings from Shaanxi Cangjie Temple, China
Dan Huang,
Kezhu Han,
Gele Teri,
Cong Cheng,
Yunpeng Qi,
Yuhu Li
Affiliations
Dan Huang
Engineering Research Center of Historical Cultural Heritage Conservation, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
Kezhu Han
Engineering Research Center of Historical Cultural Heritage Conservation, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
Gele Teri
Engineering Research Center of Historical Cultural Heritage Conservation, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
Cong Cheng
Engineering Research Center of Historical Cultural Heritage Conservation, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
Yunpeng Qi
Engineering Research Center of Historical Cultural Heritage Conservation, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
Yuhu Li
Engineering Research Center of Historical Cultural Heritage Conservation, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
Cangjie Temple was built to commemorate Cangjie, the legendary inventor of Chinese characters. It stands as one of the few remaining temples in China dedicated to the invention and creation of writing. In this study, the material properties of wooden paintings from the Cangjie temple were characterized using Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM), Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Micro-confocal Raman Spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). It was confirmed that the pigments of the paintings included cinnabar, lapis lazuli, lead white, Paris green, and carbon black. The proteinaceous glue was used as an adhesive in the pigment samples, with tung oil likely being utilized as a primer for the wooden structures before painting. This study not only provides valuable data support for the conservation and restoration of the architectural features of Cangjie Temple but also provides useful reference for the maintenance and inheritance of similar ancient buildings.
