Study of Cloisonné enamel glaze of decorative components from Fuwangge in the Forbidden City by means of LA-ICP-MS and micro-Raman Spectroscopy

Two Cloisonné enamel architectural components from Fuwangge in the Forbidden City that were produced from Yangzhou (one production center) in Qing Dynasty (1616-1911 A.D.) were chosen and analyzed. A combination of Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and micro-Raman spectroscopy was successfully used to analyze eight colors in enamel glazes (yellow, white, pink, turquoise, yellow green, deep blue, red and deep green). Chemical composition results reveal that the enamel glaze matrix belongs to lead-potash-lime glass (PbO-K 2 O-CaO-SiO 2 ). Based on Raman spectroscopy, lead-tin yellow types II, cassiterite, lead arsenate, fluorite and hematite were found as opacifiers and/or colorants. In addition, a detailed discussion of raw materials, such as fluorite and borax, might provide valuable information to trace manufacturing technology and provenance.