China develops first database of ancient fresco pigments

XI'AN -- China will develop a database of the pigments used in ancient frescoes to enhance the research and assist in the protection of the country's frescoes.

The Shaanxi History Museum and Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics recently signed a strategic cooperative agreement to establish the pigment database at the museum in Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

"Pigments are not merely materials used for painting, but also provide historical information that reflects past levels of culture and scientific technology," said Qiang Yue, director of the museum.

The museum has a collection of more than 600 tomb frescoes dating from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), covering an area of more than 1,200 square meters. Since the 1950s, it has made great achievements in the protection and study of China's ancient frescoes.

Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics said it will use its world-leading imaging spectroscopy technology to uncover how the unique pigments used in the ancient frescoes were created.