Multianalytical Studies on the Mural Painting of Yongle Palace in Shanxi Province, China

Bibliographic Data

ID7147478
AuthorsYuxuan Gong (0000-0001-6474-4787, Institute for Cultural Heritage and History of Science & Technology University of Science and Technology Beijing Beijing China, corresponding author), Bochao Zhong (Shanxi Academy of Ancient Building and Painted Sculpture & Fresco Preservation Taiyuan China), Chaoyang Li (0000-0001-7422-8110, Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology Taiyuan China), Jing Xu (0000-0001-7414-9383, Basic Scientific Research Center for Cultural Heritage Conservation University of Science and Technology of China Hefei China), Xiaoyu Yue (0000-0002-6171-0941, Basic Scientific Research Center for Cultural Heritage Conservation University of Science and Technology of China Hefei China), Qian Ding (0000-0002-1539-7376, Yongle Palace Mural Conservation Research Institute Yuncheng China)
Year2026
Volume68
Issue1
Pages36-47
Publication date2026-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueArchaeometry (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0003-813X • E-ISSN: 1475-4754
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/arcm.70025
OpenAlexW4412544372
LanguageEN
References cited31

Yongle Palace of the Yuan Dynasty is the earliest, largest, and best preserved Taoist temple in China and is famous for its exquisite mural paintings. To date, there are approximately 1000 m 2 of murals encompassed in Yongle Palace which is considered to be a rare masterpiece. Due to the environmental influences and the relocation impacts, the preservation status of the mural is poor, and conservation is urgently needed. However, there is a lack of scientific basis of the materials and techniques used in the mural painting, for which to understand the construction and material characterization of the mural are significant. In this study, the in situ nondestructive analysis was conducted by using p‐XRF and colorimetry to characterize the painting pigment. The fragmented mural samples were then analyzed by applying digital microscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), granulometry, and Raman spectroscopy to identify the structural characteristics and determine the compositions. The results provided important information of the construction and materials used in Yongle Palace mural which could serve directly for the conservation and restoration works and would further enhance the understanding of techniques used in the mural paintings of the Yuan Dynasty

Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · China · Geography · Mural · Painting · Visual arts · Building materials and conservation · Conservation Techniques and Studies · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis · History

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