Binding Media and Coatings Mummy Portraits in the National Museum of Denmark and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

The authors analyzed via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) eleven Romano-Egyptian mummy portraits—ten encaustic and one tempera—from the National Museum of Denmark and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek to identify their binding media. GC/MS can distinguish between modern and ancient beeswax and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inMummy Portraits of Roman Egypt p. 148
Main Authors Lin Rosa Spaabæk, Joy Mazurek
Format Book Chapter
LanguageEnglish
Published J. Paul Getty Trust, The 25.08.2020
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Summary:The authors analyzed via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) eleven Romano-Egyptian mummy portraits—ten encaustic and one tempera—from the National Museum of Denmark and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek to identify their binding media. GC/MS can distinguish between modern and ancient beeswax and can characterize the presence of oils, plant resins, and proteins.¹ X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis of the painted surfaces was used to identify the presence of lead pigments and their effect on the beeswax composition. Lighter-colored areas with high concentrations of lead pigments were compared with darker areas (results not shown) to complement the GC/MS findings. Two samples from
ISBN:1606066544
9781606066546
DOI:10.2307/jj.6142266.23