Hidden in the Glaze
Cobalt Blue Decorations of Catalan Tin‐Glazed Ceramics From the 16th to 18th Centuries
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24211440 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lisa Bruzzone (0009-0009-4817-4759, DISTAV Department of Earth, Environmental, and Life Sciences University of Genoa Genoa Italy), Trinitat Pradell (0000-0002-8720-5492, Departament de Física, Centre for Barcelona Research in Multiescale Science and Engineering (CCEM) Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC) Barcelona Spain), J G Iñañez (0000-0002-1411-8099, GPAC. Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU) Vitoria‐Gasteiz Álava Spain), Judit Molera (0000-0003-3116-0456, MECAMAT Research Group, Facultat de Ciències, Tecnologia i Enginyeries Universitat de Vic – Universitat Central de Catalunya Vic Spain) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-08-21 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Archaeometry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0003-813X • E-ISSN: 1475-4754 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/arcm.70209 |
| OpenAlex | W7204009495 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 23 |
This study investigates technological evolution in 16th–18th century Catalan tin glazes and cobalt blue decorations. Analysis reveals three glaze strategies, highlighting shifts in tin oxide use and cobalt pigment composition. In the 16th century, tin oxide acted as an opacifier and cobalt pigments exhibit low arsenic content with CoO/NiO and CoO/FeO ratios around 1.2. The 17th century shows residual tin and increasing manganese in pigments, while the 18th‐century glazes reintroduce tin with a Co–Ni–Fe–Mn glassy pigment (CoO/MnO ≈ 0.85). Nanometric arsenate particles within glazes produce diffuse brown halos in thin sections, offering a novel microstructural marker for archaeometric studies.
Arsenic · Catalan ceramics · thin sections · Tin oxide · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis · Historical Art and Architecture Studies · Pigment Synthesis and Properties
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |