Integrated analytical study of materials and degradation in the Ming Dynasty loess wall paintings at Shaanxi Suide Guanyin Temple, China
Source abstract
Abstract
This study systematically characterised the material composition and degradation mechanisms of Ming Dynasty wall paintings from Guanyin Temple in Shaanxi Suide County, revealing a five-layered structure, including rammed earth support, wheat straw reinforced coarse layer, hemp fibre reinforced fine layer, calcium carbonate and silicon dioxide whitewash, and pigment (cinnabar, minium, atacamite, carbon black, gypsum) layer with egg-based adhesives. Three interdependent degradations involved water-soluble salts (NaCl, CaSO₄·2H₂O), soil encrustations (K₂O, Fe 2 O₃, CaCO₃, SiO₂, CaSO₃), and fungal colonisation ( Aspergillus/Trichoderma harzianum ), exhibiting synergistic damage to the paintings. The integration of restricted imperially regulated pigments positions the temple as a frontier node within the Ming dynasty’s Jiubian Zhong-zhen system (Nine Military Border Garrisons), reflecting the empire’s strategic deployment of symbolic materials to project cultural authority in northern borderlands. This research also provides critical data for conservation strategies, while establishing a multi-analytical framework for studying loess-based wall painting in semi-arid environments.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Building materials and conservation · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis · Conservation Techniques and Studies
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (49)
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