Characterization of Pigments and Materials of the Original Body and Additions of the Book of Hours 50,1,1 from the Brazilian National Library

Abstract

The Brazilian National Library has in its collection a luxurious book of hours from the Royal Library of Portugal. For a long time, it was believed to have been made by the Italian painter Spinello Spinelli for King Fernando I (1345-1383) in 1378. This is due to the information in its colophon and the presence of a coat of arms of the Portuguese crown on the opening folio. According to recent studies, this is an example of a rare group of Flemish books of hours from ca. 1460 to English use – raising questions about the codex origin, dating, recipient, and route. To collaborate in this investigation, a material characterization study was proposed using non-invasive analyses, such as optical microscopy (OM), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and fiber optics reflectance spectroscopy (FORS). The following pigments and materials were identified: lead white, minium, vermilion, lead-tin yellow, azurite, malachite, brazilwood lake, iron gall inks of different compositions and metals in foil or powder, namely gold and silver; moreover, the identification of lapis lazuli, Armenian bole and a different red organic lake in the colophon was decisive in corroborating the thesis of art historians, confirming the production period of the original body of the manuscript to the 15th century and that the colophon and coat of arms are later additions. Additionally, it was revealed that the coat of arms was superimposed on a previous shield.

Keywords

• books of hours
• pigments
• non-invasive analyses
• material characterization
• authenticity