The Destructive/Non-Destructive Identification of Enameled Pottery, Glass Artifacts and Associated Pigments—A Brief Overview

Abstract

The birth of Chemistry can be found in two main practices: (i) the Arts du feu (ceramic and glass, metallurgy, i.e., inorganic and solid state chemistry) and (ii) the preparation of remedies, alcohols and perfumes, dyes, i.e., organic and liquid state chemistry). After a brief survey of the history of (glazed) pottery and (enameled) glass artifacts, the development of destructive and non-destructive analytical techniques during the last few centuries is reviewed. Emphasis is put on mobile non-destructive Raman microspectroscopy of pigments and their glass/glaze host matrices for chronological/technological expertise. The techniques of white opacification, blue, yellow, green, red, and black coloring, are used as examples to point out the interest of pigments as chronological/technological markers.