Ancient Porcelain Research Articles

Direct determination of trace rare earth elements in ancient porcelain samples with slurry sampling electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A method for the direct determination of trace rare earth elements in ancient porcelain samples by slurry sampling fluorinating electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was developed with the use of polytetrafluoroethylene as fluorinating reagent. It was found that Si, as a main matrix element in ancient porcelain sample, could be mostly removed at the ashing temperature of 1200 °C without considerable losses of the analytes. However, the chemical composition of ancient porcelain sample is very complicated, which makes the influences resulting from other matrix elements not be ignored. Therefore, the matrix effect of ancient porcelain sample was also investigated, and it was found that the matrix effect is obvious when the matrix concentration was larger than 0.8 g l − 1 . The study results of particle size effect indicated that when the sample particle size was less than 0.057 mm, the particle size effect is negligible. Under the optimized operation conditions, the detection limits for rare earth elements by fluorinating electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry were 0.7 ng g − 1 (Eu)–33.3 ng g − 1 (Nd) with the precisions of 4.1% (Yb)–10% (La) ( c = 1 μg l − 1 , n = 9). The proposed method was used to directly determine the trace rare earth elements in ancient porcelain samples produced in different dynasty (Sui, Ming and Qing), and the analytical results are satisfactory.

Some new results of PIXE study on Chinese ancient porcelain

This paper reports some new results obtained by PIXE on Chinese ancient porcelain. The first results concern the provenance of blue and white porcelain made during the Tang Dynasty (AD618–907), which are the earliest products found in China. The PIXE experimental results show that they were fired in Huangye Kiln, Gongyi, Henan Province. The chemical composition of the body, white glaze and of the cobalt pigment will be reported. This paper also reports the results for early Chinese blue and white porcelain made under the Yuan dynasty (AD1206–1368) in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province. Experimental results show that the chemical composition of the cobalt pigment used by officers and popular are similar. These materials were imported from another country. The local asbolite was used as cobalt pigment material since the early Ming Dynasty (AD1368–1644) in Jingdezhen at folk kiln, and it was used at official kiln until the 16th century.

Fuzzy cluster analysis of the provenance of ancient Yaozhou porcelain body

The technique of neutron activation analysis (NAA) has been employed to measure the content of 29 kinds of elements in the sample of Yaozhou porcelain bodies. Then a fuzzy cluster analysis has been conducted to the NAA data and a diagram of the dynamic fuzzy cluster analysis has been achieved. The results indicate that the batch of ancient Yaozhou porcelain bodies, which were of different overglaze color and were produced by different kilns during a period of over 800 years from the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 A.D.), has shared a stable and concentrated raw material source. Provenances of porcelain bodies from different times, though having their specific independence, enjoy a close relationship and are not far from one another. Provenances of porcelain bodies made during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties (907-960 A.D.) are found to be closer to one another, while those of the Song (960-1279 A.D.) and the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234 A.D.) are comparatively concentrated in certain areas and are different from those of the Tang Dynasty. Both the tri-colored glazed pottery made in Yaozhou kilns during the Tang Dynasty and the Yaozhou porcelain bodies of the Tang period are from the same provenance.

Neutron activation analysis and Mössbauer spectroscopy research on coloring mechanism of ancient Chinese Guan porcelain

Neutron activation analysis and Mössbauer spectroscopy research on coloring mechanism of ancient Chinese Guan porcelain

A study of provenance and dating of ancient Chinese porcelain by x‐ray fluorescence spectrometry

A study of provenance and dating of ancient Chinese porcelain by x‐ray fluorescence spectrometry

A study of provenance and dating of ancient Chinese porcelain by x-ray fluorescence spectrometry

In order to extend the scope of employing major elements to study the evolution process of manufacturing techniques, we employed loyed minor and/or trace elements to study provenance and dating and to distinguish fake from original Chinese pottery and porcelain by energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry. In summarizing our previous work, 85 typical Chinese white porcelain objects from Jingdezhen, Dehua and Hebei (Xing, Ding and Cizou), were measured by EDXRF and further analysed statistically. We found discriminate functions for the provenance of samples among Jingdezhen, Dehua and Hebei and also samples among Xing, Ding and Cizou in Hebei. We also derived functions for dating samples among Yuan, Ming and Qing of Jingdezhen blue and white porcelain, and samples between Song to Yuan and Ming periods of Dehua white porcelain. Element ratios are suggested to be employed in all of the discriminate functions in order to minimize measurement errors and to form a fast, non-destructive, comparable and reliable method for provenance and dating of ancient porcelain. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Thermoluminescence and X-ray diffraction studies on sliced ancient porcelain samples

The thermal activation characteristics (TACs) of the sensitivity of the ‘110°C’ peak in 14 sliced ancient Chinese porcelain samples are studied. Comparing with the TACs of natural quartz and synthetic mullite, the relation between the TACs and the composition of the sample is discussed with reference to the X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra. It is suggested that in some cases, contribution of the porcelain components other than quartz to the TACs is not negligible.

EDXRF studies on the chemical composition of ancient porcelain bodies from Linjiang, Jiangxi, China

Energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence was used to study Linjiang porcelains, collected from a newly discovered kiln site and covering the Five Dynasties period to the Ming Dynasty. Major and trace component analysis of the sample bodies was carried out, in addition to principal component analysis with multivariate trace elements. The results show that the Linjiang ware is very similar to that from Jizhou, which is completely consistent with recent archaeological inference. The chemical character of the trace elements obtained would seem to have considerable potential for sensitive discrimination. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

EDXRF studies on the chemical composition of ancient porcelain bodies from Linjiang, Jiangxi, China

EDXRF studies on the chemical composition of ancient porcelain bodies from Linjiang, Jiangxi, China

Locating the origins of blue and white porcelains using EDXRF

Among the main sites of production of ancient Chinese blue and white porcelains can be included Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province, the Yuxi and Jianshui Kilns of Yunnan Province and the Pinghe Kiln of Fujian Province. The current work focuses on an elemental characterization of ancient porcelains according to the location of manufacture, also incorporating a similar study of the blue and white porcelains of the Qing dynasty from Wun Yiu in Hong Kong, and modern blue and white porcelains from Germany, Japan and Thailand. Non-destructive analysis of samples of porcelain using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) has yielded results in terms of 13 chemical elements, namely, Ti, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Pb, Rb, Sr, Y and Zr. Principal component analysis has been performed on the data, allowing representation of the first, second and third principal components of the data in 3 D scatter plots; the results reveal data clusterings which correlate to a high degree with the known sites of origin. The conclusion is that the present method is capable of determining differences in elemental concentrations of blue and white porcelains, and that these differences can be used to locate the originating site of manufacture.

PIXE analysis of ancient Chinese Qing dynasty porcelain

The major and minor chemical compositions and trace element content of white glaze made in Qing dynasty at kuan kiln have been determined by PIXE. Experimental results show that trace element contents RbSrZr are useful to distinguish the place of production of ancient porcelain. In the porcelain from different kilns situated in a same province, the trace element contents can be different from each other. Determining and comparing the major and minor compositions and trace elemental concentrations in white glaze by PIXE technique, we can distinguish a precious Qing dynasty porcelain made at kuan kiln from a fake.

Mössbauer analysis of the firing process of the sky-green glaze of the imitative ancient Chinese Ru porcelain

The variation of the Mossbauer parameters of the imitative ancient Ru porcelain skygreen glaze with the firing conditions is studied in detail in the present paper. The Mossbauer spectra show that the sky-green glaze contains three kinds of iron minerals, i.e. the structural iron (Fe2+ and Fe3+); Fe2O3 and Fe3O4. The relative intensity of the paramagnetic peak Fe2+ increases and the magnetic ratio of the magnetic peak decreases with increasing temperature. Based on the variation of the quadrupole splitting (QS) of the paramagnetic peak Fe2+, the phase transformation characteristics of the sky-green glaze in the firing process is discussed. The coloring mechanism of the sky-green glaze and the variation of its magnetism in the firing process are also investigated in the present paper.

Mössbauer study of the firing process of the imitative ancient sky-blue Jun porcelain

Mossbauer spectra of the imitative ancient Jun porcelain indicate that the glaze and body materials contain Fe2O3, Fe3O4 and structural iron. It is clear that during the firing process, the glaze undergoes dehydration, dehydroxylation, vitrification and recrystallization. The Fe2+ quadrupole splitting value of the paramagnetic peak of the body material is high even at low firing temperatures. For the body material, the distinction between dehydration and dehydroxylation is not clear. The changes of magnetism of the glaze and body materials in the firing process and the coloring mechanism of the sky-blue Jun porcelain are analyzed in the present paper.

Mössbauer study of the Ru porcelain of Chinese Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty

The Mossbauer spectra from the glazes of the Song Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty Ru porcelains and the imitative ancient Ru porcelain are compared and analyzed. It is determined that the original firing atmosphere of the Yuan Dynasty Ru porcelain was reductive. The firing temperature was 1250±20 ‡C. The original firing atmosphere of the Song Dynasty Ru porcelain was also reductive; the firing temperature was above 1200 ‡C. The coloring mechanism of these glazes is discussed.

Low Temperature Mossbauer Spectroscopic Study on Sky-Green Glaze of Imitative Ancient Ru Porcelain

Fe element is the important colorant in the glaze of Chinese green porcelain, es-pecially in sky-green glaze of Ru porcelain. But the information on the chemicalstates of Fe element in the glaze cannot be obtained effectively through chemical analysisand X-ray diffraction. Detailed analysis on chemical states of the Fe element can be donewith Mossbauer spectroscopy. The phase transformation during the firing process ofsky-green glaze of imitative ancient Ru porcelain has been done with Mssbauer

Fang Zhimin, Jingdezhen and the Northeast Jiangxi Soviet

In June 1930, units of the 10th Red Army, which had been formed in northeastern Jiangxi by Fang Zhimin and Shao Shiping, entered the ancient porcelain town of Jingdezhen. The capture of the town brought the modern revolutionary politics of the Chines Communits Party (CCP) into contact with the local government and trades union organizations of a conservative, traditionally-minded town. Jingdezhen remained under the influence of the Red Army from 1930 until the strategic withdrawal from the Northeast Jiangxi Soviet in 1933 which was the forerunner of the complete withdrawal from the Jiangxi base areas and the Long March. There is ample information on the organization of the N.E. Jiangxi Soviet base and its best-known leader, Fang Zhimin, but most studies concentrate on the political structure of the Soviet government, the career and personality of Fang and the peasant milieu in which the Soviet emerged.1 Jingdezhen was not a peasant society or a major city: it was an intermediate small town world with part of the population permanently resident and many seasonal workers from the rural areas who provided a link with peasant communities.

Further Study of the Process of Technological Evolution of Ancient Chinese Pottery and Porcelain

ABSTRACTThe chemical compositions and firing temperatures of seventy-four stamped pottery and proto-porcelain fragments which were excavated from Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Henan and Fujian were studied. Their chemical compositions, together with a database of more than 600 pottery and porcelain bodies and 100 protoporcelain and porcelain glazes previously investigated, were processed and evaluated by correspondence analysis. Their firing temperatures and those of more than 200 pottery and porcelain samples were compared as well. The results of this investigation yield a more objective and comprehensive view of the process of technological evolution of ancient Chinese pottery and porcelain than heretofore possible. The place of stamped pottery and proto-porcelain in the evolution process is better understood, and the differences between the patterns of continuity and change in the north and the south of China is further discussed in this paper.

Ancient Porcelain Town comes to Life

Ancient Porcelain Town comes to Life