Abstract
The article describes a historic Japanese green pigment which was identified in a painting attributed to the Kano school, dating to the Edo period. According to literature, malachite – which is the common translation of the Japanese term rokushō – has been the most widely used green pigment in Japan over a long period of time. Its colour shade could be modified by the use of different degrees of grinding and by heating the pigment. The green paint layer found in the painting was examined using XRF, SEM-EDS and XRPD, and cross sections. Examinations revealed a heterogeneous paint layer which consists of a mixture of various natural copper-containing minerals, some of which also contain arsenic and other elements. A concluding discussion of pigment nomenclature in Japan raises the question if rokushō may in fact be equated with pure malachite.
Zusammenfassung
Der Artikel beschreibt ein historisches japanisches Grünpigment, das an einem der Kano-Schule zugerechneten Gemälde aus der Edo-Zeit identifiziert wurde. Laut Literatur war Malachit – die übliche Übersetzung des japanischen Begriffs Rokushō – über einen langen Zeitraum das am häufigsten verwendete grüne Pigment in Japan. Sein Farbton konnte durch Verwendung unterschiedlicher Mahlgrade und durch Erhitzen des Pigments modifiziert werden. Querschliffe entnommener Proben wurden untersucht und die Farbschicht mittels RFA, REM-EDX und XRPD analysiert. Die Auswertung aller Daten ergab, dass eine heterogene Farbschicht vorliegt, die aus einer Mischung verschiedener natürlicher kupferhaltiger Mineralien besteht, von denen einige auch Arsen und andere Elemente enthalten. Eine abschließende Diskussion der Pigmentnomenklatur in Japan wirft die Frage auf, ob Rokushō tatsächlich mit reinem Malachit gleichgesetzt werden kann.
Résumé
Cet article fait une mise au point sur les couches de peintures vertes japonaises. Le cas d´étude examiné fait partie d´une peinture de la période Edo, qui peut être attribuée à l´école Kano. Une vue d´ensemble des pigments verts montre que la malachite a été utilisée au Japon sur une longue période de temps. En outre, il existe deux méthodes principales pour modifier le colourant: l´emploi de différents degrés de broyage et le fait de brûler le pigment. Les couches de peinture vertes examinées sont décrites selon des critères optiques et haptiques. La structure technologique du matériau des couches de peinture est examinée au moyen de coupes transversales. Dans une partie expérimentale, une tentative est faite pour voir si le pigment des couches picturales examinées a été brûlé. Pour analyser le pigment, les couches picturales ont été examinées par spectrométrie de fluorescence des rayons X. La présence de malachite pure n´a pas pu être confirmée. Des investigations complémentaires au moyen de spectroscopie de rayons X à dispersion d´énergie (SEM-EDS) et de diffractométrie de poudre par rayons X (XRPD) ont révélé un conglomérat de différents minéraux naturels de cuivre. Au moyen d´exemples, nous pouvons montré que des résultats comparablement différents ont déjà été trouvés dans d´autres recherches, pas seulement d´origine japonaise. Cela pose la question de savoir comment on a pu supposer que la malachite était le pigment japonais vert principalement utilisé.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank O.Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Manfred Schreiner (Institute of Natural Sciences and Technology in the Arts, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna) for XRF measurements. We also thank Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Robert Linke (Federal Monuments Authority Austria) for SEM-EDX measurements and interpretation and Ass. Prof. Dipl. Ing. Dr. techn. Erich Halwax (X-Ray Center of the Technical University Vienna) for the X-ray powder diffractometry. Warm thanks to Dr.in Renáta Burszán (Institute for Conservation, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna) for supporting us with polarisation microscopy of pigments and for sharing her valued experience in this field. For exchange of ideas and results of their investigation, we would like to thank Prof. Hayakawa Yasuhiro (National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tōkyō) and VL Dipl.-Ing.in Dr.in rer.nat. Tatjana Bayerová (Institute for Conservation, University of Applied Arts Vienna). Warm thanks also to Mag.a Beate Murr (Museum of Applied Arts Vienna) for providing us with pigment samples from Japan.
Article Note: Image credits: All photographs were taken by Maria Katharina Plate.
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