Analysis of Pigments in Mural Paintings from the Western Han Tomb at Xi’an Jiaotong University

However, due to historical vicissitudes and the impact of preservation conditions, the stability and long-term preservation of the murals are of serious concern. To identify the pigments used in the murals, a range of micro-destructive analytical techniques—including X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultra-depth-of-field microscopy, polarizing light microscopy (PLM), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and Raman spectroscopy—were employed to investigate the microstructure, mineral composition, and elemental composition of the pigment samples.

The results indicate that both the white ground layer and the white pigment are composed of cerussite (PbCO₃), the black pigment is carbon black, the red pigments are hematite (Fe₂O₃) and cinnabar (HgS), the blue pigment is azurite [Cu₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂], the green pigment is malachite [Cu₂CO₃(OH)₂], and the purple pigment is barium copper silicate (BaCuSi₂O₆). All pigments identified are inorganic mineral pigments commonly used in antiquity.