Handheld XRF analysis of the old Mexican feather headdress in the Weltmuseum Vienna

Abstract

Within a trans-disciplinary project between Mexico (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia) and Austria (Weltmuseum Wien), the feather headdress, a unique and most renowned pre-Columbian ‘Arte Plumaria’ artifact from the 16th Century was studied extensively. Among other investigations concerning the materiality of the headdress, noninvasive handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis was carried out with a handheld instrument to detect the possible presence of inorganic pesticides and pigments and to verify the composition of the metal decorations. The measurements provided rich qualitative and even quantitative information. The use of inorganic pesticides (arsenic, bromide and lead containing compounds), the composition of the original gold decoration plates and the later added brass plates were confirmed. A method was established to define the thickness of the gilding of the later added plates. There was not found evidence on the use of inorganic pigments to produce marks on the constructive parts of the headdress. Handheld XRF measurements can be extremely useful for noninvasive on site investigation of sensitive museum artifacts, but generally require the application of a thorough analytical methodology for the proper interpretation and quantification of the results. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.