Interpretation of the Pigments Analysis and Coloration Techniques for Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Painting within the Myengbujeon Hall in Namwon Seonwonsa Temple, Korea

Abstract

The Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Painting of Myeongbujeon Hall in Namwon Seonwonsa temple was painted in 1917 by seven monk painters including Geumeo Manchong, Sango and Haengeun. In the painting, Korean National Flag (Taegeukgi), a trace of anti-Japanese movement that had been hidden under suppression during the invaded by the Japanese period, was found on the surface of official wooden hat in Sixth King (Byeonseongdaewang). Elements of Pb, S and Si were commonly detected by the P-XRF of the painting pigments to be analyzed, which was estimated the characteristics of the Sinamchae made by mixing colored metal oxides and glass powder, and data were secured. As the optial microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and SEM-EDS analysis show that black is chinese ink and lampblack ink, white is lead hydroxide and chalk, gold is gold foil, yellow is iron oxide yellow, massicot and gamboge, red is cinnaba, iron hydroxide and minium, green is emerald green, blue is ultramarine, respectively. As the infrared photography, various coloring techniques and traces of several overlapping for completeness were found. A comprehensive considerations of these shows that various coloring techniques with back, bottom and middle colorations were used. The Taegeuk pattern is interpreted as making a circle shape with a minium and painting with emerald green over it.