Scientific Examination of Art Modern Techniques in Conservation and Analysis (2005) / Chapter Skim
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A Review of Some Recent Research on Early Chinese Jades--Janet G. Douglas
A Review of Some Recent Research on Early Chinese Jades--Janet G. Douglas
Pages 206-214
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From page 206... ...
Most of these jades are composed of neph rite, a fine-grained variety of the tremolite-actinolite series of amphiboles, although other stone materials were used as well. The study of early Chinese jades using scientific techniques is a relatively narrow field aimed at devel oping the cultural and archaeological contexts of these materials.
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From page 207... ...
Similar findings appear throughout a wide range of Chinese archaeological reports. In addition to the study of individual jades, some composite works have been studied in detail, such as the Freer Gallery's jade and gold pectoral from the Jincun site in Henan province, dating to about the third century BCE (Douglas and Chase, 2001)
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From page 208... ...
Such sources may have been depleted in antiquity, as nephrite can occur in small localized deposits. Research involving scientific methods on early Chinese jades has been addressing issues related to the geological origin of nephrite in early China, as well as jade production and use (Douglas, 2003)
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From page 209... ...
To date, the workshop has yielded a variety of stone tools that may have been used to work jade through cutting, drilling, surface abrading, polishing, and incising. Raw jade pebbles can still be found along a nearby river's bank that may have been a source of jade for craftsmen during the Neolithic period.
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From page 210... ...
cristobalite water Detection of heating in jades using minimally invasive analytical methods is of interest because some jades may have been heated in antiquity prior to working or during burial rituals involving burning. Heat treatment may also be used in the production of modern-day forgeries to make jade appear older due to natural weathering or alteration.
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From page 211... ...
BURIAL ALTERATION AND SURFACE ACCRETIONS Burial alteration is a particular type of alteration known to occur on early Chinese jades composed of nephrite. Such alteration usually appears as opaque, white, chalky areas on otherwise translucent, polished jades.
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From page 212... ...
aPhilips RG-2600 X-ray diffractometer with Gandofi camera. bMattson Alpha Centauri Fourier transform infrared spectrometer.
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From page 213... ...
CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS Research using scientific techniques is helping us to understand the mineral composition and early history of well-documented and excavated jades. Similar work on unknown jades is helping to solve questions of authenticity (Douglas, 2000)
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From page 214... ...
Taipei: Guo li Taiwan da xue li xue yuan di zhi ke xue xi yin xing and Guo li Taiwan da xue chu ban wei yuan hui.
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