Investigation of Egyptian Blue on a Fragmentary Egyptian Head Using ER-FTIR Spectroscopy and VIL Imaging

Non-invasive techniques are being increasingly used for the study of heritage objects. This article describes results pigment analysis on a fragmentary Egyptian sculpture using two non-invasive infrared methods: external reflectance Fourier-transform (ER-FTIR) spectroscopy and visible-induced luminescence (VIL) photography. ER-FTIR was to identify certain pigments sculpture, including blue, in variously coloured areas. An optimized VIL photographic technique, high-resolution camera combined with focus-stacking, permitted detailed mapping location blue sub-millimeter grains scattered across object’s surface, which were not visible naked eye.