X‐ray fluorescence studies on low‐Z elements of straits chinese porcelains using Fe‐55 and Cd‐109 annular sources

Abstract

AbstractElemental analysis from Z = 13 (aluminium) to Z = 27 (cobalt) was made on 37 pieces of Straits Chinese porcelains using energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence technique. These porcelains were produced from the beginning of the nineteenth century up to the Republic period (1912–1939) except 4 pieces which were made recently. It was found that manganese, cobalt, potassium and, to a certain extent, iron were correlated in time. All Ch'ing and Republic pieces containing underglazed blue had Mn/Co ratios between 2 and 4 while the modern pieces had Mn/Co ratios of less than 0.07. A plot of the ratio of the intensity of KKα,1 to that of the coherently scattered MnKα from the Fe‐55 source versus the ratio of the intensity of the FeKα,1 to that of the coherently scattered AgKβ from the Cd‐109 source shows that all Ch'ing and Republic pieces cluster together and are quite distinct from the modern pieces. XRF technique therefore provides a simple, fast and, most important of all, non‐destructive method of identifying modern (post World War II) fake reproductions of Straits Chinese porcelains.