Comprehensive Analysis of the Surface Decoration Layer of Buddha Statues from Dazu Rock Carvings in China

A comprehensive analysis of the surface decoration layers of Buddha statues from the Dazu Rock Carvings reveals the use of gypsum in preparation layers and lacquer sap (urushiol) in painted layers, alongside heat-bodied tung oil and benzoin resin. The study also identified mineral pigments such as cinnabar, lead red, orpiment, litharge, and carbon, with a notable gold foil layer on the Thousand Hand Guanyin sample containing 96.70% gold. This research provides critical insights for the preservation of cultural relics in grottoes, utilizing advanced techniques like digital microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and pyrolysis—gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Chen, Q., Gao, F., Wang, X., Hao, X., Tong, H., Ma, L., & Shen, X. (2022). Comprehensive Analysis of the Surface Decoration Layer of Buddha Statues from Dazu Rock Carvings in China. Analytical Letters, 55(13), 2058–2073. https://doi.org/10.1080/00032719.2022.2043889