Seite - 129 - in The Vienna Genesis - Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment
Bild der Seite - 129 -
Text der Seite - 129 -
Rabitsch, Malissa, Hradil, Erlach, Uhlir, Griesser, Hofmann 129
sults of the analysis of the silver inks were used to verify differences in the elemental compos-
ition, especially of the silver content, throughout the entire codex. On the other hand, the
information obtained about the possible additions of inorganic compounds contributed to a
better understanding on the causes of the severe degradation of ink and parchment.
For the analysis of the silver inks with µ-XRF the same instrument as well as identical
measuring conditions were used as for the analysis of the miniature paintings, see chapter
on miniatures for the detailed description of the instrument and the method. In order to
retrace the elemental composition of the silver inks as accurately as possible, measurements
of the ink as well as the surrounding blank parchment were recorded on different points of
almost every folio (recto and verso).
The spectra obtained from the measuring points of blank parchment and the silver ink
from folio 23, page 46 (Fig. 10), show the elemental composition of both the ink and the
parchment41. The direct comparison indicates that many signals detected arise from the
parchment itself, while only a modest number of peaks come from the silver ink. In the
parchment, following a very intensive calcium signal which probably results from the use
of an alkaline solution of lime (Ca(OH)2) during the manufacturing process, minor signals
of chlorine, silicon, phosphorus, potassium and iron were detected. In comparison, the
spectrum of the silver ink reveals clearly that silver and copper are the main ingredients of
the ink, whereas chromium, gold and mercury are present as trace components. Addition-
ally, an intensive chlorine signal indicates the presence of chlorine, presumably in form of
the corrosion product silver chloride (AgCl).
Further evaluation of all spectra generated showed that the elemental composition of
the silver ink, which was described above, did not change throughout the entire codex.
In particular, the ratio between the K
α -peaks of the elements silver and copper remained
without any significant variations for the first as well as for the second half of the codex
(Fig. 11). Only in the case of the trace components – chromium, gold and mercury –
minor variations of the peak intensities were observed. These differences largely correl-
ate with the variation of the thickness with which the ink was applied. Therefore, the
trace components could undoubtedly be detected in correlation with higher silver peaks,
whereas especially gold and mercury were hardly found in spectra with overall lower in-
tensities. Due to these observations, we assume that the scribes of the Vienna Genesis used
inks with very similar compositions.
Because of the poor condition of the written text passages of the Vienna Genesis, the
presence of the transition metal copper as well as the intensive signals of chlorine in all
41 Regarding the detected elements, it has to be pointed out that the peaks resulting from palladium
and argon appear in all spectra. Since the palladium signal results from the Pd anode itself and the
argon signal derives from the surrounding, they will not be considered in the following discussion.
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
- Titel
- The Vienna Genesis
- Untertitel
- Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment
- Herausgeber
- Christa Hofmann
- Verlag
- Böhlau Verlag
- Ort
- Wien
- Datum
- 2020
- Sprache
- englisch
- Lizenz
- CC BY 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-3-205-21058-0
- Abmessungen
- 17.3 x 24.5 cm
- Seiten
- 348