Li Li

Overglaze colour decoration represents a seminal innovation in ancient Chinese ceramic technology, yet the technical and artistic mechanisms underlying its earliest forms remain poorly understood. Honglvcai wares from the Jin dynasty (1115–1234 CE) are a primary example of this development. However, the absence of detailed surface characterisation has hindered insights into painting techniques. Here we combine elemental mapping, phase characterisation, and quantitative surface topography to reconstruct the canonical brush-handling methods employed by artisans at the Dangyangyu kiln. The red pigment is confirmed as hematite, dispersed in a lead-based flux that diffuses into the underlying white glaze, ensuring adhesion. The Danxian Pingtu (‘single-outline and flat wash’) and Mogu (‘boneless’) painting styles were recognised. Critically, roughness gradients across lines act as physical records of deliberate pressure modulation for pigment deposition, indicating Zhongfeng (centred-tip) and Cefeng (side-brush) techniques and revealing exceptional motor control. These findings shed light on how brush dynamics, material behaviours, and firing processes converged for achieving exquisite Honglvcai overglaze decoration. This work establishes surface metrology as a vital tool for craftsmanship reconstruction in ancient Chinese ceramics.

Textile artifacts are highly vulnerable to microbial deterioration, necessitating effective decontamination for preservation. While radiation is widely used for sterilization, the potential of electron beam irradiation for textile conservation is less explored compared to gamma irradiation. Electron beam treatment offers high dose rates, adjustability, and equipment flexibility, making it suitable for low-density textiles. This study investigates optimal doses for decontaminating common fungi and their impact on artifact substrates. Results show improved decontamination up to 15 kGy, with diminishing returns at higher doses. Cotton and flax fibers maintain structural integrity below 30 kGy, though color changes occur, especially in silk and cotton above certain thresholds. Darkroom storage partially restores color. An optimal dose below 10 kGy is recommended to balance effective decontamination with artifact preservation.

A mass of Longquan celadon shards were excavated from the Chuzhou site of Huai’an City in Jiangsu Province, China. These celadon shards were fired during the period of the Late Yuan Dynasty to the Tianshun era of the Ming Dynasty, as identified by archaeologists at Nanjing Museum. In order to research the chemical composition features of this ancient celadon porcelain, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) for non-destructive analysis was used to determine the chemical composition of the porcelain body and glaze in these shards. The results indicate that Ti and Fe in the body of Longquan celadon are characteristic elements which can distinguish porcelain produced during the Late Yuan Dynasty from those produced in the Ming Dynasties. The results of the principal component analysis (PCA) show that different body and glaze raw materials were used for the production of porcelain in different periods and the raw materials of the body and glaze are also different for various vessel shapes. The chemical compositions in the porcelain body of civilian ware are slightly different. The imperial and civilian Longquan celadon porcelains produced during the Hongwu era to the Tianshun era of the Ming Dynasty are distinguishable by the MnO, Fe 2 O 3 , Rb 2 O and SrO content in their porcelain glaze.