The few extant pre-Hispanic pictorial manuscripts have been the object of a long scholarly tradition that has mainly focused on writing systems, thematic contents, painting styles, cultural affiliation, and—albeit in a limited way—material aspects. Nevertheless, the extreme rarity of the codices prevented destructive analyses, thus constraining the physical study of painting materials and techniques. Fortunately, the development of nondestructive spectroscopic techniques, allowing the scientific study of painting materials without putting the physical integrity of the manuscripts at risk, is rapidly changing this scenario. In this chapter, we shall discuss some results of our ongoing research project, based on the deployment of a wide range of nondestructive and portable analytical techniques on most of the extant pre-Hispanic (and some early colonial) codices held at European libraries and museums. The results of such analyses, when compared with other data deriving both from previous destructive analyses and from nondestructive ones, allow us a deeper understanding of the coexistence of different technological traditions and their mutual relationships and interactions. The present chapter attempts to make a preliminary examination of such themes, based on the still limited corpus of analyzed codices and on information contained in early colonial historical sources.

Coloring materials, technological practices, and painting traditions. Cultural and historical implications of non-destructive chemical analyses of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican codices

Domenici Davide;
2018

Abstract

The few extant pre-Hispanic pictorial manuscripts have been the object of a long scholarly tradition that has mainly focused on writing systems, thematic contents, painting styles, cultural affiliation, and—albeit in a limited way—material aspects. Nevertheless, the extreme rarity of the codices prevented destructive analyses, thus constraining the physical study of painting materials and techniques. Fortunately, the development of nondestructive spectroscopic techniques, allowing the scientific study of painting materials without putting the physical integrity of the manuscripts at risk, is rapidly changing this scenario. In this chapter, we shall discuss some results of our ongoing research project, based on the deployment of a wide range of nondestructive and portable analytical techniques on most of the extant pre-Hispanic (and some early colonial) codices held at European libraries and museums. The results of such analyses, when compared with other data deriving both from previous destructive analyses and from nondestructive ones, allow us a deeper understanding of the coexistence of different technological traditions and their mutual relationships and interactions. The present chapter attempts to make a preliminary examination of such themes, based on the still limited corpus of analyzed codices and on information contained in early colonial historical sources.
2018
Painting the Skin. Studies on the Pigments Applied on Bodies and Codices in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica
129
143
Domenici, Davide, Costanza Miliani, David Buti, Bruno Brunetti, Antonio Sgamellotti
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11585/691206
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