A Discussion on the Emergence and Development of Ancient Chinese Artificial Barium Copper Silicate Pigments from Simulation Experiments. (28th August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Qin, Y.; Wang, Y.‐H.; Chen, X.; Li, H.‐M.; Li, X.‐L.
• Is Part Of: Archaeometry. Volume 58:Number 5(2016)
• Page Start: 796
• Page End: 806
• Publication Date: 2015-08-28
• Subjects: barium copper silicate pigment -- Simulation synthesis -- Chinese purple -- mineral raw materials -- witherite; Archaeometry -- Periodicals; Archaeology -- Expertising -- Periodicals; 930.1
• DOI: 10.1111/arcm.12205
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-813X

Abstract

Abstract : The ancient Chinese barium copper silicate minerals mainly comprise Chinese purple (BaCuSi2 O6 ) and Chinese blue (BaCuSi4 O10 ), which were widely used from the late Warring States Period to the late Eastern Han Dynasty. In order to clarify the raw material of the pigment, a series of simulation experiments was conducted to produce Chinese purple pigment under varying mineral conditions. The minerals that we applied in the experiment were quartz as the source of silicon, malachite and copper oxide as the sources of copper, barite and witherite as the sources of barium and lead oxide as the source of lead. Simulation experiments showed that the barium copper silicate minerals and the purple pigment can be produced easily when witherite is used as the barium‐containing raw material. From the perspective of mineral resources, the birth of the ancient Chinese pigment associated with a unique barium mineral resource. The Chinese copper‐based pigments are assumed to have been developed independently and are presumably an outcome of historical developments in glazing techniques.