Fotonica per lo studio di beni culturali: tecniche non-invasive per l'analisi di pigmenti e di materiali organici storici cinese

Responsabili di progetto

Austinbenjamin Nevin, Qinglin Ma

Accordo

CINA - CACH - Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage

Bando

CNR/CACH 2016-2018

Dipartimento

Scienze umane e sociali, patrimonio culturale

Area tematica

Scienze umane e sociali, patrimonio culturale

Stato del progetto

Nuovo

Proposta di ricerca

Research would focus on the application of non-invasive spectroscopic and imaging techniques to the study and analysis of materials. Joint research would be carried out by scientists from the Institute of Photonics and Nanotecnologies - National Research Council (IFN-CNF) and the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage (CACH), to focus on the study of specific materials and to answer specific conservation problems related to the identification of historical materials, the conservation of organic material and the degradation of glass. The Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage (CACH) brings expertise in the molecular and elemental analysis of materials, the study of ancient Chinese pigments, faiance glass, wall paintings and the study and conservation of historical waterlogged wooden tombs in Shandong Province.
The Bilateral project would involve exploratory joint research between IFN-CNR and CACH to study a series of materials using a combined analytical approach, uniting both expertise and instrumentation from both institutions.
One of the challenges in conservation science is the need to acquire maximum information from surfaces and samples without compromising the integrity of materials. Historical materials are often complex by nature and have aged or degraded, so the study of corrosion, oxidation and other types of deterioration are key to the development of suitable strategies for treatment and long-term preventive conservation. By combining non-invasive analysis with careful sampling and laboratory study, the most useful information for the conservation of cultural heritage can be obtained. A close synergy between conservation investigations, scientific questions and the choice of the best analytical strategy is necessary to better understand ancient materials and their conservation.
IFN-CNR has developed different non-invasive instrumentation for the analysis of paintings and sculptures in situ; instrumentation is based on imaging or molecular analysis of smaller areas of a surface. Techniques developed and employed at IFN-CNR are based on the use of laser-based spectroscopic techniques for the analysis of the luminescence of materials, the imaging of the fluorescence lifetime of complex surfaces, and the time-resolved absorption spectroscopy of anisotropic organic materials including wood. Recently IFN-CNR has developed a scanning Raman instrument which can be used to acquire spectra at a distance of 20 cm from the surface of an object. In addition to portable instrumentation, time-resolved fluorescence analysis can be carried out with a pulsed laser source for the analysis of fast dynamics in complex systems. This approach has been applied successfully to the analysis of historical and modern semiconductor and lake pigments. Instruments at IFN-CNR include a Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging system, capable of imaging the luminescence lifetime of pigments on the surface of a work of art, which has proved particularly powerful for the mapping of organic and inorganic. Recent applications of luminescence include the study of Egyptian Blue and other historical pigments. IFN-CNR has significant interest to explore novel applications of time-resolved spectroscopy (fluorescence) and imaging to the analysis of non-European pigments including Han Blue and Han Purple, which share chemical similarities with Egyptian blue. Finally, at IFN-CNR Time-resolved spectroscopy has been applied to the studying of waterlogged wood, the impregnation of historical samples with consolidants and the study of moisture variation in samples, which are all relevant for the conservation of aged and degraded wood. In addition to portable instrumentation, IFN-CNR has developed new methods for microscopic imaging including multi-spectral imaging of samples and FLIM of complex pigments, which has been useful for the mapping of impurities in zinc sulphide from the 19th Century. Recent research has also focussed on the development of a pump-probe system for Terahertz spectroscopy of pigments. These methods will be extended to the analysis of Han Blue and Han purple, in addition to other materials through the collaboration between IFN-CNR and CACH.
Research at CACH has focussed on the synthesis and analysis of historical pigments using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Raman Microscopy. In this research project luminescence techniques from IFN-CNR would be used to study well-characterised samples to determine how fluorescence in the IR region could be used to detect the pigment and study its degradation. CACH has expertise in the study of Chinese wall paintings, while IFN-CNR has applied techniques to the analysis of Italian Renaissance and Modern paintings, and more recently to the analysis of Ancient Egyptian materials. By combining efforts, CACH and IFN-CNR will study the pigments and organic materials, including the presence of organic lakes and other dyes on wall paintings and wall painting samples. In addition, the corrosion of glass would be explored with Raman spectroscopy and collaborations between IFN-CNR and Synchrotron radiation facilities in Italy (Elettra) could be employed for the study of the spatial distribution of corrosion in microsamples.
The outcome of the research project would be synergistic and joint research on common materials by IFN-CNR and CACH. Through joint investigations which would result in publications, the institutes would be in the position to apply for further grants for specific research projects.
Nevin and Ma are uniquely qualified to carry out this research; they are both chemists with significant experience in conservation. Both have worked internationally and continue to work collaboratively with foreign colleagues. Nevin recently worked as the Chair of the Technical Committee for the International Institute of Conservation Hong Kong Congress in 2014, and Ma has spent periods working in Europe and the United States. This partnership thus has great collaborative potential.

Obiettivi della ricerca

The objectives of the project would be visits between researchers at IFN-CNR and CACH for the definition of focused research on materials and samples. Visits would be used to select topics for research, plan research strategies and define common goals. Researchers from IFN-CNR would travel to China each yearand the CACH to work together with colleagues, and would welcome researchers from CACH in Italy. Samples would be shared between institutions to allow joint research. Investigations would explore the analysis of pigments (year 1), historical glass and wall paintings (year 2) and waterlogged wood (year 3). Specifically instruments developed at IFN-CNR would be used to study the luminescence of Han blue and Han purple on the picosecond to microsecond time scale. Glass and wall paintings would be studied using portable and microscopic techniques at IFN-CNR and data acquired would be integrated with analysis carried out by CACH. Waterlogged wood would be studied using time-resolved absorption spectrosocpy to determine the optical properties of the wood and to study its consolidation. Outcomes of research would be presented at International conferences and would be published in peer reviewed journals for Scientists and Conservation.

Ultimo aggiornamento: 25/06/2025