Page - 143 - in The Vienna Genesis - Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment
Image of the Page - 143 -
Text of the Page - 143 -
Rabitsch, Malissa, Hradil, Erlach, Uhlir, Griesser, Hofmann 143
XRD analysis was by chipping, the calcite can be assigned most likely to the parchment.
The main corrosion product of the ink is silver chloride consistent also with the XRF an-
alysis of the chemical elements. No crystalline copper compounds were detected on the
original Vienna Genesis samples by XRD.
A selection of reference silver inks, unaged and artificially aged, were analysed with the
µ-X-ray diffraction phase analysis. The analysis of samples from the reference inks ST1
and ST2 are illustrated in figure 24 and 25, respectively. Besides the pure silver phase (ST1,
ST2) and the hair copper phase used within the ink mixture for ST1, we found a con-
siderable amount of calcite and/or dolomite phase, which also explains the high calcium
content within the XRF analysis. It can be assigned most likely to the sample preparation
procedures or the treatment of the parchment, for example grinding of silver in a mortar
or preparing the animal’s skin with lime. We can find a tiny amount of a corrosion product
for both ink samples, i. e. silver chloride (AgCl; chlorargyrite) even in the unaged and un-
treated sample. The aging procedures and the different treatments yielded additional cor-
rosion products as silver oxide (Ag2O) and silver chlorate (AgClO3). Their relative amounts
vary considerably in the different samples. Based on presence of chlorargyrite as the main
corrosion product and the assumption of a contact with seawater for the parchment, in-
situ ageing experiments within a reaction chamber using seawater aerosols and temper-
atures up to 300 °C were performed during the XRD measurements to follow the phase
development during these treatments. The details of the analysis of the aged reference inks
and the in-situ investigations are discussed in a further publication48.
Analysis of the silver ink with SEM/EDX
Energy dispersive X-ray analysis in the scanning electron microscope (SEM/EDX)49 was
employed for additional characterisation of the silver ink. Micro-samples of silver ink from
Vienna Genesis and the reference ink ST1 from the alteration study were investigated by
SEM/EDX. The samples are listed in Table 2 (chronological order as provided for analysis).
Samples T2, T5, T6 and T11 were taken by slightly scratching the surface of inked areas on
the Vienna Genesis with a scalpel. Sample T17 was taken as one cross-section from an
inked area on folio 22 with a loss. The samples contain ink and parchment. Sample Pe1 was
taken from parchment without ink on the inner edge of folio 22. For comparison, samples
were taken from reference ink ST1, unaged and aged. ST1 is a silver ink which contains
sodium chloride and copper(1)oxide, see chapter on the alteration study.
48 Hradil et al., to be published.
49 SEM/EDX analysis was carried out by Rudolf Erlach.
Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY 4.0
The Vienna Genesis
Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment
- Title
- The Vienna Genesis
- Subtitle
- Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment
- Editor
- Christa Hofmann
- Publisher
- Böhlau Verlag
- Location
- Wien
- Date
- 2020
- Language
- English
- License
- CC BY 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-3-205-21058-0
- Size
- 17.3 x 24.5 cm
- Pages
- 348