| Title |
Usage Trends and Material Characteristics of Copper-based Green Pigments in Large Buddhist Paintings of
the Joseon Dynasty |
| Authors |
이나라(Na Ra Lee) ; 김소진(So Jin Kim) |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.3365/KJMM.2025.63.9.724 |
| ISSN |
1738-8228(ISSN), 2288-8241(eISSN) |
| Keywords |
Large Buddhist Paintings; Green pigment; Copper chloride compounds; Malachite; Crystalline phases |
| Abstract |
This study investigates the usage trends and material characteristics of green pigments used in
large Buddhist paintings produced between the 17th and 19th centuries. A total of 32 paintings with
confirmed production dates were selected, and both non-destructive and advanced instrumental analytical
techniques were applied to comprehensively examine the crystalline phases, particle morphologies, and
chemical compositions of the pigments. To identify usage patterns, non-destructive elemental analyses were
performed on 480 green-painted areas. Cu was detected at all analyzed points, while Cl and Pb were identified
at some locations, indicating the use of copper-based green pigments. X-ray diffraction and Raman
spectroscopy revealed the presence of copper chloride polymorphs such as atacamite and botallackite, as well
as the carbonate mineral malachite. Chronological comparison of the analytical results indicated that copper
chloride pigments were consistently employed from the 17th through the 19th centuries, whereas malachite
appeared predominantly in works produced after the 18th century. It remains difficult to determine whether
the copper chloride pigments originated from naturally occurring minerals (e.g., atacamite) or were artificially
produced. However, spherical particle shapes and the presence of trace elements such as Pb and Sn suggest
that these pigments may have formed as secondary products via artificial corrosion of copper-based substrates
under alkaline chloride conditions rather than through natural weathering. The findings provide insights into
the chronological use and mineralogical characteristics of green pigments in Buddhist paintings and offer
foundational data for understanding pigment manufacturing conditions in cultural heritage materials. |