• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.351-367
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• 2020

The pigments of three old and new celestial charts folding screens(『Celestial Chart(Folding Screen)』 and 『Old and New Celestial Charts, Eight-Panel Folding Screen』 of National Folk Museum of Korea and 『Koudou-Nanboku-Ryousouseizu』 of National Diet Library of Japan) were analyzed to estimate their dating. It was estimated that the 『Celestial Charts(Folding Screen)』 was painted using traditional pigments from the Joseon dynasty such as azurite, indigo lake, malachite, atacamite, vermilion, iron oxide, cochineal, gamboge, orpiment, lead white, talc and soot. The green and blue colors of the 『Old and New Celestial Charts, Eight-Panel Folding Screen』 and 『Koudou-Nanboku-Ryousouseizu』 were painted using artificial inorganic pigments such as emerald green and ultramarine blue. These pigments were imported from Europe post the mid-19th century. In the 『Old and New Celestial Chart, Eight-Panel Folding Screen』, only artificial inorganic pigments were used for green and blue colors. However in the 『Koudou-Nanboku-Ryousouseizu』, emerald green and atacamite in green color, and ultramarine blue and indigo lake in blue color were used together. Based on both the results of pigment analysis and the study of star charts and inscriptions, the 『Celestial Charts(Folding Screen)』 was painted post mid-18th century. The 『Koudou-Nanboku-Ryousouseizu』 and 『Old and New Celestial Charts, Eight-Panel Folding Screen』 were painted after green and blue artificial pigments were imported in the mid-19th century. The 『Koudou-Nanboku-Ryousouseizu』 in which both traditional and western artificial pigments were used, can be dated earlier than the 『Old and New Celestial Chart, Eight-Panel Folding Screen』.