Characterization of a Mahamayuri Vidyarajni Sutra excavated in Lu’an, China

Historically, sutras played an important role in spreading Buddhist faith and doctrine, and today these remain important records of Buddhist thought and culture. A Mahamayuri Vidyarajni Sutra with polychrome paintings was found inside the cavity on top of the Nanmen Buddhist pagoda, built in the ear...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Heritage science 2019-10, Vol.7 (1), p.1-9, Article 77
Main Authors: Liu, Liu, Gong, Decai, Yao, Zhengquan, Xu, Liangjie, Zhu, Zhanyun, Eckfeld, Tonia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bamboo
Bark
Buddhism
Chemistry and Materials Science
Conservation
Fourier transforms
Infrared analysis
Materials Science
Micro-Raman spectroscopy
Microscopes
Microscopy
Optical microscopes
Optical microscopy
Pigment
Pigments
Raman spectroscopy
Research Article
Silk
Spectrum analysis
Sutra
Warp
X ray analysis
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Summary:Historically, sutras played an important role in spreading Buddhist faith and doctrine, and today these remain important records of Buddhist thought and culture. A Mahamayuri Vidyarajni Sutra with polychrome paintings was found inside the cavity on top of the Nanmen Buddhist pagoda, built in the early Tang dynasty (618–627 CE) and located in Anhui Province, China. Textile was found on the preface which is strongly degraded and fragile. Unfortunately, the whole sutra is under severe degradation and is incomplete. Technical analysis based on scientific methods will benefits the conservation of the sutra. Optical microscopy (OM), micro-Raman spectroscopy combined with optical microscope (Raman), scanning electron microscopy in combination with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM–EDS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the pigment and gilded material, as well as the paper fiber and textile. Pigments such as cinnabar, minium, paratacamite, azurite, lead white were found. Gilded material was identified as gold. A five-heddle warp satin, made of silk, was found as the textile on the preface of the sutra. The sutra’s preface and inner pages were made of paper comprised of bamboo and bark. As a magnificent yet recondite treasure of Buddhism, the sutra was analyzed for a better understanding of the material. A conservation project of the sutra will be scheduled accordingly.
ISSN:2050-7445
2050-7445
DOI:10.1186/s40494-019-0320-8