Scientific Research in the Field of Asian Art

This volume celebrates fifty years of scientific research into Asian art at the Freer Gallery of Art, featuring papers from international experts that explore materials and techniques across Asia’s vast cultural and temporal landscape. Covering subjects from Chinese bronzes to Japanese paintings and East Asian jewelry, these proceedings from the first Forbes Symposium highlight cutting-edge technologies and insights that bring new understanding to the artistry and craftsmanship of Asia’s rich heritage.

The realm of Asian art is vast, covering half the world, from the edge of Europe east to the tip of North America and from the Artic Circle south to the equator. In time, too, its spread is huge, ranging from the Neolithic to the present day, and examples of the art of Asia are almost infinite in their variety. Chinese bronze and iron, Himalayan and Cambodian sculpture, Japanese paintings, jewelry from East Asia to Europe, materials from jade to feathers, glass beads to ceramic tiles – all are the subject of investigation in this volume. Scientific research into works of Asian art at the Freer Gallery of Art began with R.J. Gettens in 1951, and the papers presented here are a celebration of fifty years work in the field. Such papers, delivered by experts from across the globe and representing the very latest technologies and understanding, reveal a small but significant part of this great breadth of artistic achievement, helping to bring back to life the artists and artisans of the area. Proceedings of the first Forbes Symposium at the Freer Gallery of Art

Foreword Acknowledgements List of contributors Introduction Orna ment Connections between Islam, Europe, and the Far East in the Early Medieval period: the evidence of jewelry technology Jack Ogden Studies on archaeological ambers in Japan Masanori Sato, Mitsuru Mimura, and Kazuo Yamasaki Feathers of blue on a field of gold: Chinese ornament with kingfisher-feather cloisonne Blythe McCarthy and Ellen Salzman Chase Bronze and iron in China A history of the study of bronze casting in ancient China Su Rongyu Chinese cast iron through twenty-five hundred years P.T. Craddock , M.L. Wayman, H. Wang, and C. Michaelson A study of the making of bronze weapons in the Wu and Yue states during the Eastern Zhou period in China Lian Haiping and Tan Derui Metallurgical analysis of metal cauldrons from Xinjiang, northwest China Mei Jianjun Tinned belt plaques of the sixth to fifth century B.C.E. from Gansu Province, China: a technical study Ma Qinglin and D.A. Scott The manufacturing technique of ferrous artifacts excavated from Xianbei gravesite at Lamadong village of Liaoning Province Chen Jianli, Han Rubin, and Wan Xin Metalworking traditions A study of later Chinese metalwork Michael Cowell, Susan La Niece, and Jessica Rawson Medieval Islamic metal technology Susan La Niece A scientific study of twin Japanese bronze mirrors Ryu Murakami, Masaaki Sawada, W.T. Chase, and P. Jett A millennium of Khmer bronze metallurgy: analytical studies of bronze artifacts from the Musee Guimet and the Phnom Penh National Museum David Bourgarit, Benoit Mille, Thierry Borel, Pierre Baptiste, and Thierry Zephir Trace elements in north Indian and Tibetan statuettes of copper alloys Josef Riederer New evidence for the historical context of Buddhist bronzes from Swat Valley, northern Pakistan Chandra L. Reedy Scientific investigations of an enthroned Buddha from Kashmir John Twilley Paintings Pigments on Japanese ukiyo-e paintings in the Freer Gallery of Art Elisabeth West Fitzhugh East Asian painting pigments: recent progress and remaining problems John Winter, Jennifer Giacci, and Marco Leona Five Protective Goddesses (Pancaraksha): a study of color notations and pigments Kate Duffy and Jacki Elgar Recent studies on Sri Lankan mural painting technology B.D. Nandadeva Glass, jade, and ceramics Compositions and particles embedded in Korean ancient glass beads Heisun Yu and Hyung Tae Kang Scientific study on the glass beads found in the Yayoi period of Japan Takayasu Koezuka and Kazuo Yamasaki Exploring issues of geological source for jade worked by ancient Chinese cultures with the aid of x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy Janet G. Douglas Evolution of the tilework of Friday Mosque in Isfahan, based on glaze analysis S. Durali, P. Oliaiy, F. Shokouhi, M. Lamehi, and J. Rahighi,

Foreword

Acknowledgements

List of contributors

Introduction

Ornament

Connections between Islam, Europe, and the Far East in the Early Medieval period: the evidence of jewelry technology

Jack Ogden

Studies on archaeological ambers in Japan

Masanori Sato, Mitsuru Mimura, and Kazuo Yamasaki

Feathers of blue on a field of gold: Chinese ornament with kingfisher-feather cloisonné

Blythe McCarthy and Ellen Salzman Chase

Bronze and iron in China

A history of the study of bronze casting in ancient China

Su Rongyu

Chinese cast iron through twenty-five hundred years

P.T. Craddock , M.L. Wayman, H. Wang, and C. Michaelson

A study of the making of bronze weapons in the Wu and Yue states during the Eastern Zhou period in China

Lian Haiping and Tan Derui

Metallurgical analysis of metal cauldrons from Xinjiang, northwest China

Mei Jianjun

Tinned belt plaques of the sixth to fifth century B.C.E. from Gansu Province, China: a technical study

Ma Qinglin and D.A. Scott

The manufacturing technique of ferrous artifacts excavated from Xianbei gravesite at Lamadong village of Liaoning Province

Chen Jianli, Han Rubin, and Wan Xin

Metalworking traditions

A study of later Chinese metalwork

Michael Cowell, Susan La Niece, and Jessica Rawson

Medieval Islamic metal technology

Susan La Niece

A scientific study of twin Japanese bronze mirrors

Ryu Murakami, Masaaki Sawada, W.T. Chase, and P. Jett

A millennium of Khmer bronze metallurgy: analytical studies of bronze artifacts from the Musée Guimet and the Phnom Penh National Museum

David Bourgarit, Benoit Mille, Thierry Borel, Pierre Baptiste, and Thierry Zéphir

Trace elements in north Indian and Tibetan statuettes of copper alloys

Josef Riederer

New evidence for the historical context of Buddhist bronzes from Swat Valley, northern Pakistan

Chandra L. Reedy

Scientific investigations of an enthroned Buddha from Kashmir

John Twilley

Paintings

Pigments on Japanese ukiyo-e paintings in the Freer Gallery of Art

Elisabeth West Fitzhugh

East Asian painting pigments: recent progress and remaining problems

John Winter, Jennifer Giacci, and Marco Leona

Five Protective Goddesses (Pancaraksha): a study of color notations and pigments

Kate Duffy and Jacki Elgar

Recent studies on Sri Lankan mural painting technology

B.D. Nandadeva

Glass, jade, and ceramics

Compositions and particles embedded in Korean ancient glass beads

Heisun Yu and Hyung Tae Kang

Scientific study on the glass beads found in the Yayoi period of Japan

Takayasu Koezuka and Kazuo Yamasaki

Exploring issues of geological source for jade worked by ancient Chinese cultures with the aid of x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

Janet G. Douglas

Evolution of the tilework of Friday Mosque in Isfahan, based on glaze analysis

S. Durali, P. Oliaiy, F. Shokouhi, M. Lamehi, and J. Rahighi

• Edited by Paul Jett