Figure 6 - uploaded by Viktória Mozgai
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Backscattered electron images of the niello inlays and gilding of the buckles. A-B: niello inlays were put in previously carved recesses, the surface of the niello is not flat, polished or even on buckles B/K and ZsD; C: heterogeneous niello of the loop of buckle ZsD; D: heterogeneous niello of the tongue of buckle ZsD; E: niello inlay of buckle B/K; F: rather thick gilding on the plate of buckle ZsD.
Source publication
The use of non-destructive and non-invasive analytical methods is widespread in the archaeometric study of metal objects, particularly in the case of precious metal artefacts, from which sampling is not, or in a limited way, allowed due to their high value. In this study, we highlight the main advantages and limitations of non-destructive analytica...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... is composed of different silver-copper sulphides with different Ag:Cu ratios ranging from 1:1 to pure copper sulphide (Table 4; Figure 5). The surface of the niello inlays is not even and flat, indicating that the niello inlays were not polished after application ( Figure 6A-B). The microtexture of the niello shows inhomogeneities: lighter and darker phases alternate with each other in the BSE images. ...
Context 2
... microtexture of the niello shows inhomogeneities: lighter and darker phases alternate with each other in the BSE images. In the niello inlays of buckles ZsD and UP the irregular darker phases a few tens of micrometres in size are Ag-Cu sulphides or Cu-sulphides, while lighter phases are metallic silvercopper alloy (irregular shaped, a few tens of micrometres in size) or contamination with mercury and gold (narrow strings along the grain boundaries, a few micrometres in size) (Figure 6C-D). In the niello of buckle B/K the irregular darker phases a few hundreds of micrometres in size are AgCu sulphides with higher copper content, while the irregular, string-like lighter phases a few tens of micrometres in size are Ag-Cu sulphides with higher silver content ( Figure 6E). ...
Context 3
... the niello inlays of buckles ZsD and UP the irregular darker phases a few tens of micrometres in size are Ag-Cu sulphides or Cu-sulphides, while lighter phases are metallic silvercopper alloy (irregular shaped, a few tens of micrometres in size) or contamination with mercury and gold (narrow strings along the grain boundaries, a few micrometres in size) (Figure 6C-D). In the niello of buckle B/K the irregular darker phases a few hundreds of micrometres in size are AgCu sulphides with higher copper content, while the irregular, string-like lighter phases a few tens of micrometres in size are Ag-Cu sulphides with higher silver content ( Figure 6E). tongue with a bird and boar heads of the buckle UP. ...
Context 4
... gold content of the gilded areas is around or above 80 wt% on each buckle based on the hXRF measurements (Table 3), indicating a rather thick gilding. The thickness of the gilding is estimated to be around several tens of micrometres based on BSE images ( Figure 6F). Mercury was detected in the gilded areas by hXRF and SEM-EDX measurements as well (Figure 8). ...
Context 5
... is composed of different silver-copper sulphides with different Ag:Cu ratios ranging from 1:1 to pure copper sulphide (Table 4; Figure 5). The surface of the niello inlays is not even and flat, indicating that the niello inlays were not polished after application ( Figure 6A-B). The microtexture of the niello shows inhomogeneities: lighter and darker phases alternate with each other in the BSE images. ...
Context 6
... microtexture of the niello shows inhomogeneities: lighter and darker phases alternate with each other in the BSE images. In the niello inlays of buckles ZsD and UP the irregular darker phases a few tens of micrometres in size are Ag-Cu sulphides or Cu-sulphides, while lighter phases are metallic silvercopper alloy (irregular shaped, a few tens of micrometres in size) or contamination with mercury and gold (narrow strings along the grain boundaries, a few micrometres in size) (Figure 6C-D). In the niello of buckle B/K the irregular darker phases a few hundreds of micrometres in size are AgCu sulphides with higher copper content, while the irregular, string-like lighter phases a few tens of micrometres in size are Ag-Cu sulphides with higher silver content ( Figure 6E). ...
Context 7
... the niello inlays of buckles ZsD and UP the irregular darker phases a few tens of micrometres in size are Ag-Cu sulphides or Cu-sulphides, while lighter phases are metallic silvercopper alloy (irregular shaped, a few tens of micrometres in size) or contamination with mercury and gold (narrow strings along the grain boundaries, a few micrometres in size) (Figure 6C-D). In the niello of buckle B/K the irregular darker phases a few hundreds of micrometres in size are AgCu sulphides with higher copper content, while the irregular, string-like lighter phases a few tens of micrometres in size are Ag-Cu sulphides with higher silver content ( Figure 6E). tongue with a bird and boar heads of the buckle UP. ...
Context 8
... gold content of the gilded areas is around or above 80 wt% on each buckle based on the hXRF measurements (Table 3), indicating a rather thick gilding. The thickness of the gilding is estimated to be around several tens of micrometres based on BSE images ( Figure 6F). Mercury was detected in the gilded areas by hXRF and SEM-EDX measurements as well (Figure 8). ...
