Emma Bartle

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2. Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) – This technique is used to try and authenticate porcelain by measuring the elemental composition of the major elements present. This is then compared to the elemental composition of authentic pieces. It is based on the premise that if the elemental composition is the same then it is authentic. Problems with this method – X-rays can only penetrate the glaze layer and so the authentication is based on the composition of the glaze alone. According to the literature, potters used different glaze mixtures during the Ming Dynasty and hence it is hard to authenticate by analysing only this.

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(a) Izumiyama Quarry, Arita-shi, Japan. This quarry was where porcelain stone was mined from for the manufacture of Imari porcelain. Because only one clay source was used it is expected that all Imari porcelain should show similar elemental compositions. (b) An excavated chamber from the Nabeshima-Hanyou kiln (18-19C). Samples from this kiln site have been analysed as part of the study.

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Research aims and objectives To develop a method, using Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for the provenance determination & authentication of oriental ceramics by: Establishing that differences in trace element composition will exist between ceramics of different geographical and periodical origins, and that these differences are reproducible, allowing the determination of the artefact’s country of production. Investigate the differences in trace element composition of raw clay and glaze materials used at different kiln sites in China and Japan, and see if characteristic patterns can be established that would allow for pieces to be provenanced to a particular kiln site. Establish if a relationship exists between the trace element composition between the raw clay/glaze materials and the final fired ceramic. This would be useful in cases where reference shard samples from a particular kiln site are unavailable for analysis but samples of the raw material, which can be taken from the quarries, can be used instead. Compile the results from analysis of the trace element composition of clay/glaze/pigment of reference porcelain shards (loaned from a number of international museums) into a database, which porcelain pieces of unknown or questioned origin can be compared to.

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(a) (b)

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Raw clays were collected from different kiln sites in Arita, Seto and the Amakusa Islands These were analysed using LA-ICP-MS The elemental fingerprints indicate differences exist in the trace element distribution of clays from different origins A relationship between the trace element composition of the raw clays and the final fired ceramics have been established