Multi-Technique Analysis of Pigments Used in Architectural Polychrome Paintings at the TaiLing Mausoleum, Western Qing Tombs

The TaiLing Mausoleum in Western Qing Tombs has great aesthetic value and a rich history. In this study, we conducted an analysis of the materials used in the architectural polychrome paintings of the TaiLing Mausoleum. Optical microscopy (OM), portable X-ray fluorescence (p-XRF), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX), micro-Raman spectroscopy (μ-RS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to analyze the paintings of Long’en Gate in TaiLing Mausoleum. The results indicate that the main minerals in the ground layer are quartz, augite, feldspars and illite. The gilding materials employed gold leaf. The red pigment is hematite, and the black pigment is carbon black. The green pigment is emerald green with barium sulfate as an extender. The blue pigments are smalt and synthetic ultramarine. In some areas, emerald green is observed overlaying smalt, suggesting that the paintings at Long’en Gate underwent overlay restoration or repainting from the late Qing Dynasty to modern times. These results can support future conservation of the polychrome paintings at the TaiLing Mausoleum.