Retrospective study of the feasibility of using EDXRF for the attribution of blue and white porcelains

Two important aspects of the feasibility of using EDXRF for the attribution of porcelains were solved. First, elements such as Mn and Co were defined, and identified as elments characteristic of the colorant, so ratios between their concentrations (e.g. Mn/Co) are meaningful parameters. Second, it was found that elements characteristic of the colorant diffuse from the colorant into the glaze layer during high-temperature firing. Therefore, the glaze layer also contains information on the colorant which can be revealed by EDXRF. It was also shown that the half-value thicknesses calculated for Rb, Sr, Y and Zr coming from the body of the porcelain can contribute to the EDXRF results. Therefore, the EDXRF results contain information from the glaze, colorant and the body. This confirms the feasibility of the attribution of porcelains using EDXRF, which is based on the variation of the materials used for the glaze, colorant and body in different periods and localities. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.