Characterization of blue and white porcelains using the Mn Fe ratio from EDXRF, with particular reference to porcelains of the Xuande period (1426 to1435 AD)

Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) was employed to measure the ra tio between the intensities of Mn and Fe (or Mn/Fe ratio) of porcelains of the Xuande period (1403-1435 A.D.) of the Ming dynasty, Kangxi period (1662 -1722 A.D.), Yongzheng period (1723-1735 A.D.) and Qianlong period (1736-17 95 A.D.) of the Qing dynasty. The Mn/Fe ratio was found to be a good criter ion for separating porcelains from these periods: those of the Xuande perio d had Mn/Fe < 0.35 while those of the Qing dynasty had Mn/Fe > 0.35. The Mn /Fe ratios also confirmed that most imperial-ware blue and white porcelains of the Xuande period employed imported Co materials and that imported Co m aterials had lower Mn and higher Fe contents when compared to the native on es. The Mn/Fe ratio can also be used as a criterion for identifying imitati ons and fakes of imperial-ware blue and white porcelains of the Xuande peri od. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.