Analysis of pigments and damages for the 19th century White-robed Water-moon Avalokitesvara Painting in Gongju Magoksa Temple, Republic of Korea

Abstract

The White-Robed Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara painting displayed on the rear wall of Daegwangbojeon (main hall) in Magoksa temple, is one of the representative Buddhist paintings in the late nineteenth century of Korea, and a valuable resource for understanding the coloring techniques and characteristics of Buddhist paintings in terms of expression and description in landscape painting. In this painting, the contours and colored surface remain undamaged, but blistering and exfoliation appear on some pigment layers. Furthermore, the partial decomposition of wooden materials due to wood-decay fungi and insect damage were found on the rear wall requiring proper treatment for long-term conservation. As the results of chromaticity and P-XRF analysis regarding the color pigment layer of the painting, the pigments were classified into ten types. The results suggest that the colors other than blue, green, yellow, red, black, and white were prepared by mixing two or more pigments. The types of pigments according to colors, were determined as traditional pigments with azurite; emerald green or clinoatacamite; 0 massicot; minium or hematite; Chinese ink; and kaolin, white lead, and gypsum, respectively. Violet and pink colors were assumed to have been prepared by mixing white with blue and red. In most of these pigments, small amounts of synthetic compositions from the modern era were detected at many points.