Heritage Science

Featured article - The Qianlong Emperor's order: scientific analysis helps find French painted enamel among Palace Museum collections

Painted enamel holds special significance in the study of the history of Chinese ceramic and glass. Painted enamel also represents interesting evidence of cultural communication between China and European countries. In the past, studies on painted enamel have mainly focused on archival research. Although modern scientific techniques have complemented research on enameled artifacts, the quality of the samples has usually been inferior. This study combines scientific analysis and archival work to explore four similar pots from the Palace Museum collection, along with the specific documentation information attached to them. Raman spectra, XRF and CT scanning were applied to compare the four pots. Results show that one of the pots is made of gold and use cassiterite and Naples yellow as opacifier and pigments, this pot bears the hidden hallmarks of a Parisian goldsmith, providing direct evidence that the pot was made in France in 1783. The other pots are proven to have been made in China, which are made of copper gilded with gold and use lead arsenate and lead tin yellow as opacifier and pigments. This work reveals a previously unnoticed route by which enamel artifacts reached the Chinese court.

Featured collection: Cleaning & Conservation

The complex challenges inherent to cleaning works of art and other cultural heritage — defined broadly as the removal of unwanted materials — have in recent years, benefited from enhanced research and practice efforts which have resulted in the development and evaluation of a range of new or modified options. These have facilitated new ways of approaching, executing, assessing and evaluating cleaning treatments across a wide range of heritage materials. This collection provides a snapshot of ongoing work, including how recent developments in cleaning tools and understanding from various projects are influencing practice and refining research questions to help achieve treatment aims while also lowering risks to users and cultural heritage, as well as enhancing sustainability.

Image: Analyzing the surfaces of Winsor and Newton oil paint swatches using Fourier Transform Infrared–Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR–ATR) spectroscopy at Tate. © J. Paul Getty Trust.