Analysis of the manufacturing craft of the painted gold foils applied on the lacquerware of the Jin Yang Western Han Dynasty tomb in Taiyuan, Shanxi, China

Abstract

Seven pieces of gold foils for surface decoration of the lacquerware were excavated in the late Western Han Dynasty tomb in the area of the Jin Yang (晋阳) Ancient City site in Taiyuan (太原), Shanxi (山西), China. These gold foils portray images of the carriage, the leopard, the tigers, the ox, and the dancer with fluttering sleeves, etc., with black lines outlining the contours and red paint depicting vivid patterns. The study used Stereo Microscopes, Metallurgical Microscopy, Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (ESEM-EDS), and Laser Raman Spectroscopy (LRS) to analyse the thickness of the gold foils, the alloy composition, the composition of the paint and other surface attachments, and investigate the manufacturing process. As the results show, the thickness of the gold foils is about 26 μm. The composition is a gold-silver alloy with about 96% Au/(Au + Ag) (surface) and 98% Au/(Au + Ag) (cross-section). The metallurgical observation shows that the gold foils underwent heating and forging. The black lines on the front side are Chinese ink lines, with cracking and peeling phenomenon, and parallel polishing lines can be seen at the peeling places, while no polishing lines are observed on the back side. Some red paint made of cinnabar is above the black lines, and the binder is organic. Some lacquer residues are found on the back. According to the results of the study, the manufacturing process of the gold foils applied on the lacquerware is as follows: the gold foils are obtained by heating and forging, the front sides of the gold foils are polished, the shapes are carved out, and the gold foils are pasted on the lacquerware when the lacquerware’s surface is not yet dry. The gold foils are painted with black Chinese ink and red cinnabar pigment. The study’s results offer important references for understanding the manufacturing craft of the gold foils applied on the lacquerware in the late Western Han Dynasty of China and guide the conservation of the lacquerware decorated with painted gold foils.