47110
Editor
Vandiver, Pamela B.;McCarthy, Blythe;Tykot, Robert H.;Ruvalcaba-Sil, Jose Luis;Casadio, Francesca
Title Of Article Chaper
Replication of Glazed Quartzite from Kerma, Capital of Ancient Kash (Sudan)
Title Of Journal Book
Materials Issues in Art and Archaeology VIII
Volume
1047
Pages
277-284
Collation
8 p. : ills.
Reference Bibliography
Includes bibliographic references
Publisher
Materials Research Society
Language Of Text
English
Literature Type
Monograph
Literature Level
Analytic
Abstract
Glazes found on ancient Nubian quartzite sculpture were characterized in a previous study by scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM/EDS). Now in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, these objects were excavated from Kerma, the capital of ancient Kush in the early 20th century by the joint Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition. The project presented here attempts to recreate the ancient technology used to glaze quartzite with compositions determined in the previous study. Raw and fritted experimental glazes were prepared, as well as an alkali paste mixed with a copper colorant. All of the samples were fired in modern electrical kilns. After firing, samples of the glazes and their quartzite substrates were examined with SEM/EDS to see which of the experimental glazes and firings most closely resembled the ancient samples.
Keywords
replicate;glaze;quartzite
pub_id
47110