Non-invasive Spectroscopic Investigation of a Sixteenth-Century Polychrome Aztec Picture Map on Deerskin
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Ted Stanley
Ted Stanley has been in charge of special collections paper conservation at the Princeton University Library since 1992. He is a former senior paper conservator at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC, where he trained and was a staff member from 1976 to 1992.Through a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, he spent a sabbatical year from 1984 to 1985 performing paper conservation studies at la Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris, and at el Centro Nacional de Conservación y Restauración in Madrid, Spain. He is a fellow of the American Institute for Conservation and has extensively written, lectured, and taught about various aspects of paper conservation.
Abstract
Princeton University Library’s rare sixteenth-century polychrome Aztec picture map on deerskin vividly portrays the conversion of the Aztecs to Catholicism during the Early Colonial Period of the Spanish Conquest. A non-invasive technical examination was conducted to identify the colourants and the species of the animal hide support used in the creation of the map. Analysis included spectroscopic techniques such as attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. Light microscopy and UVA fluorescence were also employed as tools. Results of the technical examination found the presence of cochineal, bone black, Maya blue, which are indigenous colourants traditionally associated with Mesoamerica, and a layer of an unknown greenish-yellow dye over Maya blue to create the colour green. The examination also discovered what appears to be an orange-yellow gamboge-like substance known as American (sometimes called Mexican) gamboge, which is indigenous to Mexico and parts of Central and South America. Its plant family is Hypericaceae, which is very closely related to Clusiaceae. Clusiaceae is the Southeast Asian and Indian plant family of gamboge, which is commonly used as a pigment in Western, Indian and Asian art. The study’s exposure of the obscure substance may spur more research into its use as a colourant of the Mesoamerican palette. The paper also hopes to add to the overall knowledge of Mesoamerican materials in order to better understand aspects of their conservation and preservation.
Zusammenfassung
Nicht-invasive Spektroskopische Untersuchungen einer polychromen aztekischen Karte auf Rehleder aus dem 16. Jahrhundert
Die farbig ausgeführte aztekische Landkarte auf Rehleder aus dem 16. Jahrhundert wird in der Bibliothek der Princeton Universität aufbewahrt. Sie zeigt eine lebhafte Darstellung der Konvertierung von Azteken zum Katholizismus in der Frühzeit der Spanischen Eroberung. Um die Farbstoffe und die für die Anfertigung der Landkarte verwendete Tierhaut zu identifizieren, wurde eine nicht-invasive technologische Untersuchung durchgeführt. Analysemethoden umfassten dabei spektroskopische Techniken wie Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrarot Spektroskopie (ATR-FTIR) und UV-Vis Spektroskopie sowie Lichtmikroskopie und UVA-Fluoreszenz. Es konnte die Anwesenheit von traditionell in Mesoamerika verwendeten Farbmitteln wie Cochenille, Knochenschwarz und Maya-blau nachgewiesen werden; weiters wurde ein unbekannter grünlich-gelber Farbstoff entdeckt, der über dem Maya-blau lag und einen grünen Farbton ergab. Auch eine orange-gelbe, Gummigutt artige Substanz wurde identifiziert, die als Amerikanischer (manchmal auch Mexikanischer) Gummigutt bekannt ist, der in Mexiko und Teilen von Zentral- und Südamerika heimisch ist. Er zählt zur Pflanzenfamilie der Hypericaceae, die nahe mit der Familie der Clusiaceae verwandt ist. Clusiaceae ist eine südostasiatische und indische Pflanzenfamilie von Gummigutt, die in westlicher, indischer und asiatischer Kunst oft Verwendung fand. Es bedarf weiterer Untersuchungen zur Verwendung der in dieser Studie entdeckten unbekannten, orange-gelben Substanz als Farbmittel der mesoamerikanischen Palette. Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, zum allgemeinen Wissen über die in mesoamerikanischer Kunst verwendeten Materialien beizutragen, um auch Aspekte ihrer Erhaltung besser zu verstehen.
Résumé
Recherche spectroscopique non invasive sur une carte polychrome aztèque sur peau de daim du seizième siècle
La rarissime carte polychrome aztèque sur peau de daim du XVIe siècle de la bibliothèque de l‘Université de Princeton décrit avec éclat la conversion des Aztèques au catholicisme lors de la première période coloniale de la conquête espagnole. Un examen technique non invasif a été réalisé pour identifier les colorants et les espèces de peaux d‘animaux utilisés pour la création de la carte. Les analyses comprenaient des techniques spectroscopiques telles que la réflectance totale atténuée-spectroscopie infrarouge a transformée de Fourier (FTIR) et la spectroscopie ultraviolette-visible. La microscopie optique et la fluorescence UVA ont également été utilisées comme outils d’observation. Les résultats de l‘examen technique ont révélé la présence de cochenille, noir d‘os, bleu maya, qui sont des colorants indigènes traditionnellement associés à la Mésoamérique, et une couche d‘un colorant inconnu jaune verdâtre sur bleu maya pour créer la couleur verte. L‘examen a également découvert ce qui semble être une substance proche de la gomme-gutte jaune-orange (ou jaune du Cambodge) connu sous le nom de gomme-gutte américaine (parfois appelée mexicaine), qui est indigène au Mexique et dans certaines parties de l‘Amérique centrale et du sud. La gomme-gutte est de la famille des Hypéricacées, celle-ci étant très étroitement liée à la famille des Clusiaceae. Les Clusiaceae sont la famille de plantes du Cambodge du sud-est asiatique et indien couramment utilisé comme pigment dans l‘art occidental, indien et asiatique. La révélation de l’étude de la substance sombre pourrait inciter davantage de recherches sur son utilisation comme colorant dans la palette mésoaméricaine. L’auteur de cet article espère aussi ajouter à la connaissance globale des matériaux mésoaméricains afin de mieux comprendre les problématiques liées à leur conservation et leur préservation.
About the author
Ted Stanley has been in charge of special collections paper conservation at the Princeton University Library since 1992. He is a former senior paper conservator at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC, where he trained and was a staff member from 1976 to 1992.
Through a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, he spent a sabbatical year from 1984 to 1985 performing paper conservation studies at la Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris, and at el Centro Nacional de Conservación y Restauración in Madrid, Spain. He is a fellow of the American Institute for Conservation and has extensively written, lectured, and taught about various aspects of paper conservation.
Acknowledgements
Much appreciation is extended to Don Skemer, Curator of Manuscripts, Princeton University Library, for his encouragement to initiate the project, Dana Kelly, FTIR/Raman Technical Sales, Bruker Optics, for his expert guidance in the use of the OPUS subtraction software, Dr Saw Kyin, Scientist/Manager & Acting Director, Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Core, Princeton University for his mass spectrometry analysis assistance, and Emma Kummrow for her valuable assistance in screening the paper.
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