TITLE:
Application of a Portable XRF Spectrometer for In-Situ and Nondestructive Investigation of Pigments in Two 15th Century Icons
AUTHORS:
Eglantina Merkaj, Nikolla Civici
KEYWORDS:
Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Spectrometer, Pigment Analysis, Icons, Albanian Icons, Berat, Albania
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.10 No.6,
June
18,
2020
ABSTRACT: A simple portable X-Ray Fluorescence
(XRF) spectrometer was successfully used for in-situ and nondestructive identification of the painting materials
in two 15th century icons from the Onufri Museum in Beart, Albania. The spectrometer is based on a low power X-ray tube,
a thermoelectrically cooled Si PIN detector and the spectrum acquisition
system. It was assembled and adjusted at our laboratory for the investigation
of the icons. A small number of pigments were clearly identified
by X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) measurements in both icons. This includes Lead white for the white color, gold and yellow
ochre for the yellow color, red lead, cinnabar and red ochre for the red color,
as well as cooper based pigments for the green color. At the same time, the
investigation raised some new questions that need further investigations by the use of additional analytical techniques. The
results show that in both icons are used similar pigments, which are in
accordance with the Byzantine icon painting tradition.