Further to the project to create an affordable system of multispectral imaging available to all conservators mentioned here previously, A New Initiative, I came across this very good presentation of a paper on ASORtv, by Caroline Roberts.
It discusses the way that these technologies were used to identify different greens found in late and Roman period Egyptian art – where the palette moved away from the traditional ‘Egyptian green’ or green frit, to include many other types of green – including those which, viewed in the visible light spectrum, are indistinguishable from blue with a yellow glaze. She produces a very useful list of the greens found, as well as demonstrating the uses of this kind of technology where traditional sampling is restricted, or not allowed.
The presentation is below
Greens – Changes in the Egyptian Pallet
The image to introduce this post is actually from the research at the The Tomb of Menna, Valley of the Nobles, Luxor, Egypt, where non-invasive paint analysis was undertaken by the Centre of European Archaeometry at the University of Liège, the green in this case was the traditional ‘Egyptian green’. More about about the pigments found in the Tomb of Menna and the analysis carried out can be found in the publication Melinda Hartwig, ed., The Tomb Chapel of Menna (TT 69): The Art Culture, and Science of Painting in an Egyptian Tomb (ARCE Conservation
5). Cairo: AUC Press, 2013.