DIAGNOSTICS OF CULTURAL HERITAGE (it) 

 

with the XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) technique

Head: Prof. Carlo Sabbarese

Working group

Member Position Email address Phone number

Jessica Brocchieri Post-Doc Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo. //

Elvira Scialla PhD student Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo. //

Carlo Sabbarese Associate Professor Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo. +390823274633

Antonio d’Onofrio Full professor Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo. +390823274631

Research activity in recent years has focused on the study and use of the energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) technique in the field of cultural heritage. This activity has been carried out with the use of a portable instrument that has enabled a new field of research to be started up at the CIRCE center. Measurements are typically carried out at the site where the artwork under examination is located or exhibited (i.e. museum, restoration workshop, open air location etc.) and are often complemented by measurements with other diagnostic techniques. The focus was the characterization of pigments of historical-artistic artefacts, paints and metal alloys of ancient objects and coins.

CHARACTERISATION OF PIGMENTS

Frescoes. Study of the nature of pigments and mortars of fresco fragments from the Roman archaeological site of Cuma (Naples, Italy) using the ED-XRF technique and 14C dating. An analyzed fresco fragment is shown in the photo. The results of ED-XRF provided the elemental composition of the pigments, which made it possible to identify the colors and hence the historical period of creation. The 14C dating method applied to the mortar provided results that agree with the same archaeological historical period.

Brocchieri, J., Sabbarese, C., Marzaioli, F., Passariello, I., Terrasi, F., De Maio, C., & Ferrara, L. (2018). Elemental analysis using ED-XRF and 14C dating of Cuman wall paintings samples. Journal of Instrumentation, 13(04), C04027. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/13/04/C04027

Tibetan Thangka. Pigment characterisation of a Tibetan (Thangka) canvas using complementary techniques: MA-XRF imaging, point XRF analysis and Hyper Spectral Imaging in the visible (VNIR) and near infrared (SWIR). This was achieved through collaboration with Dr L. de Viguerie (LAMS, Laboratoire d'Archéologie Moléculaire et Structurale, Paris). The use of the different investigation techniques allowed us to identify the pigments used by the artist, strengthen information from historical and contemporary sources and provide the necessary data for restoration treatments.

Brocchieri, J., de Viguerie, L., Sabbarese, C., & Boyer, M. (2021). Combination of noninvasive imaging techniques to characterize pigments in Buddhist thangka paintings. X‐Ray Spectrometry, 50(4), 320-331. https://doi.org/10.1002/xrs.3189

Paintings and inks. In cooperation with Dr A. Manzone (head of Laboratorio di Servizio e Restauro of the Royal Palace of Caserta, https://reggiadicaserta.cultura.gov.it), the pigments of two paintings were identified: La veduta della città di Acireale by Emanuele Grasso (1789-1853), 1832, fresco on panel (pictured on the right) and Cupido by Clara Spinelli, 1783, pastel on canvas. (https://www.reggiadicaserta.beniculturali.it/restauri-reali-il-cupido-di-clara-spinelli/).

The inks of two volumes (manuscript texts bound with full parchment covers-photo on the right), kept at the Historical Archive of the Royal Palace, location no. 110 and 192, belonging to the Notaries series, were also analysed in collaboration with Dr G. Tortino (head of Servizio Biblioteca Palatina, Archivio Storico e Fotografico, Digitalizzazione)

European Researchers' Night 2019

Metal alloy and varnishes. Metal alloy characterization of the structure of a lantern from the main entrance of the Royal Palace and a lantern from the Cannocchiale.

Identification of the various layers of paint used to coat gates, lamps, and doors in the courtyards of the Royal Palace of Caserta, using both the XRF technique and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). On the side is a microscopic image of an analyzed section of paint consisting of several layers taken from a lantern in the Cannocchiale of the Royal Palace.

15th century paintings. In collaboration with prof. A. Zezza, Dr M. Cardinali (Department of Arts and Cultural Heritage, https://www.letterebeniculturali.unicampania.it) and Dr A. Cerasuolo infrared reflectography (IR) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses were carried out on Colantonio's paintings at the Capodimonte Museum (Https://capodimonte.cultura.gov.it/tag/colantonio/) to provide an initial overview and hypothesis on the artist's painting palette and techniques.

CHARACTERISATION OF METAL ALLOYS

Ancient Coins. Interdisciplinary study of ancient Magna Graecia coinage through the 'Incusi' and double-relief coins (530 B.C. to 470/440 B.C.) in the Museo Provinciale di Capua (https://www.museocampanocapua.it ), in collaboration with Prof. Rosa Vitale (Department of Letters and Cultural Heritage, https://www.letterebeniculturali.unicampania.it ). The numismatic examinations provided indications on the synoptic distribution of the samples from the different colonies and on the historical period. XRF and multivariate analyses of the data also made it possible to characterize and classify the coins, provide additional information for numismatic studies and highlight special cases.

· Vitale, R., J. Brocchieri, and C. Sabbarese. "Gli Incusi della Collezione Numismatica del Museo Campano: presentazione preliminare." (2019): 33-75

· J. Brocchieri, R. Vitale and C. Sabbarese. Characterization of the incuse coins of the Museo Campano in Capua (Southern Italy) by X-ray fluorescence and numismatic analysis, Nuclear Inst. and Methods in Physics Research, B, 479, (2020), 93-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2020.06.015

Layers of coating. The technique of X-ray fluorescence is of great help in determining the thickness of the individual layers that characterize an antique artefact: such as the overlapping colors in the case of paintings, covering gold or silver leaf in the case of artefacts, and the surface enrichment of the silver layer in ancient silver coins. The ratio between the intensities of the characteristic fluorescence lines of an element can be derived theoretically by estimating the absorption of incident and fluorescence photons in the material layer. The thickness estimation method was developed and calibrated by analyzing sheets and foils of silver and gold with different thicknesses and concentrations.

· J. Brocchieri, J., Scialla, E., Ambrosino, F., Terrasi, F., & Sabbarese, C. (2018). Ag X-ray fluorescence on different thickness and concentration layers. Il nuovo cimento C, 41(6), 1-8. DOI: 10.1393/ncc/i2018-18224-3

· Brocchieri, J., & Sabbarese, C. (2020). Coating thickness of plated objects using XRF technique concentrations. Il nuovo cimento C, 43(6), 1-9.

https://www.sif.it/riviste/sif/ncc/econtents/2020/...

· Sabbarese, C., Brocchieri, J., & Scialla, E. (2021). Gold‐coating thickness determination on Ag, Cu, Fe, and Pb using a handheld X‐ray instrument. X‐Ray Spectrometry, 50(5), 425-435. https://doi.org/10.1002/xrs.3221

· Brocchieri, J., & Sabbarese, C. (2021). Thickness determination of the gilding on brass materials by XRF technique. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 496, 29-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2021.03.018

· Brocchieri, J., Scialla, E., & Sabbarese, C. (2021). Estimation of Ag coating thickness by different methods using a handheld XRF instrument. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 486, 73-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2020.11.006

Gilding. In collaboration with Dr. Anna Manzone, head of the Laboratorio di Servizio e Restauro della Reggia di Caserta (MIC), it was possible to characterize the gilding techniques of the furnishing objects in the rooms of the Reggia di Caserta.

· Brocchieri, J., Scialla, E., Manzone, A., Graziano, G. O., D'Onofrio, A., & Sabbarese, C. (2022). THE GILDING TECHNIQUE ON LEAD OBJECTS OF THE ROYAL PALACE IN CASERTA (ITALY) STUDIED BY pXRF. Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, 22(1), 29-43. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5906713

· Brocchieri, J., Scialla, E., Manzone, A., Graziano, G. O., & Sabbarese, C. (2022). Gouache gilding on lead and wood objects studied by multivariate and graph analyses applied to XRF spectra. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 42, 103382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2022.103382

European Researchers' Night 2021