Characterisation of colourants on a 15th century Armenian manuscript by means of different spectroscopic techniques

This contribution illustrates the results from the technical study of a 15th century Armenian illuminated manuscript produced at Aghtamar Island (Vaspurakan region, historic Armenia), presently kept in the collection of Matenadaran ancient manuscript museum, in Yerevan. Fifteen fragments taken from different miniatures in the manuscript were analysed by means of UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry with optic fibres (FORS), fluorimetry, Raman spectroscopy, SERS and SEM-EDX. The combination of molecular and elemental techniques allowed the characterisation and identification of colourants used in miniatures; these were carbon, cinnabar, indigo, iron-gall ink, orpiment, red lead, ultramarine blue, vergaut and white lead. A pink dye was assigned to lac dye according to preliminary measurements. The goal was to compare the results with a previously analysed 14th century manuscript coming from the same region: were the same colourants used or not?