Papers by Barbara Łydżba-Kopczyńska
The recovery of the artistic heritage of Joseph Jeremias Knechtel is believed to be an important ... more The recovery of the artistic heritage of Joseph Jeremias Knechtel is believed to be an important juncture in the art historical study of Baroque Silesian art. J. J. Knechtel was almost completely forgotten and his works were hardly known by art historians. A major step forward in broadening the knowledge of Knechtel’s workshop is a development of the database* created by experts from different fields including art history, chemistry and conservation. Within the research project completed by the Cultural Heritage Research Laboratory, several paintings attributed to Knechtel were subjected to comprehensive investigations. It turned out to be very useful also in determining Knechtel’s authorship case. Coauthors Anna Rogulska, Barbara Łydźba-Kopczyńska, Monika Czarnecka,
Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 2019
The aim of this study was to establish the provenance of materials used in the manufacturing proc... more The aim of this study was to establish the provenance of materials used in the manufacturing process of the Kościuszko banknotes. The applied methodology is mostly based on Raman investigations carried out using portable and benchtop instruments. Raman analysis allowed to identify smalt, an optical brightener typically used in paper production in the Netherlands. This result was also confirmed by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The Raman investigation of ink and dyes was supported by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis and high-performance liquid chromatography. The detection of typical local dyes such as reseda (Reseda luteola L.) and madder (Rubia tinctorum L.) suggested that the paper was dyed in Poland. The results also indicate the use of charcoal with an admixture of traces of bone black.
Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 2008
The analysis of inclusions utilising optical methods and micro-Raman spectroscopy was used to add... more The analysis of inclusions utilising optical methods and micro-Raman spectroscopy was used to address a question of provenance of prehistoric rock-crystal artefacts excavated in Lower Silesia (SW Poland). The nature and spectroscopic features of inclusions in rock crystal from three Lower Silesian deposits were established and compared with the ones identified in the rock-crystal artefacts. A characteristic inclusion assemblage in rock crystal from the Jegłowa-Krzywina deposit consists of anatase, kaolinite, and chlorite. Quartz from granitic pegmatites of the Jelenia Góra Valley displays the presence of dusty hematite coating. Frequent inclusions of goethite are typical of rock crystal from cavities in volcanic rocks near Kłodzko. The study established that raw material used to manufacture 16 of the artefacts investigated comes from the Jegłowa-Krzywina quartz deposit. One tool was made of the material obtained from granitic pegmatites that occur near Karpniki (Jelenia Góra Valley). Two other artefacts contain inclusions not found in crystals from any of the investigated Lower Silesian deposits.
Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 2012
ABSTRACT The aim of presented work was to establish the provenance of unique amber jewelry dated ... more ABSTRACT The aim of presented work was to establish the provenance of unique amber jewelry dated back to Early Iron Age discovered in burial chambers of archeological excavations in Domasław, Lower Silesia (Poland). To assess the origin of the archeological amber objects, there was performed a comparative analysis of over 100 artifacts and reference material originated from amber sources within reasonable proximity to the axcavations. Succinite (Baltic amber) from tertiary deposit at the seashore from North Harbor in Gdansk (Poland) and Sambian Penisula, Yantarny near Kaliningrad (Russia) valchovite or/and neudorfite from Valchov in Moravy (Czech Republic) dated back to Upper Cretaceous and amber originating from Lower Silesia (cenoman from Boleslawiec, Poland) were used as a reference material. Raman and positron annihilation spectroscopies have been previously successfully applied in provenance studies of archeological amber jewelry, and both techniques were accepted as a method of choice in current investigation. All Raman measurements of valuable amber objects were performed in situ. Raman spectra collected for analyzed artifacts confirmed their Baltic origin. The study showed that annihilation positron spectroscopy is effective toll in the provenance investigations of raw amber material but can be misleading in analysis of previously processed material. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Archaeologia Polona, 2008
Interdisciplinary research on archaeological objects is recently on the rise owing to the increas... more Interdisciplinary research on archaeological objects is recently on the rise owing to the increased availability of modern analytical techniques and substantial reporting of results in internationally recognised scientific journals. Raman spectroscopy is an efficient, nondestructive and noninvasive tool for investigating the provenance of archaeological objects of usually unique value. This paper presents the results of combined Raman and petrographic analyses applied to provenance investigation of archaeological ceramics excavated in Lower Silesia.
Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2012
Abstract The spectrum of the complex refractive index in the 12,500–500 cm − 1 region was determi... more Abstract The spectrum of the complex refractive index in the 12,500–500 cm − 1 region was determined for liquid pyrrole from transmission studies. In the MIR region very thin layers with thicknesses of a few micrometers had to be used to obtain reliable data. FT-Raman spectra of the liquid are also reported. Identifications for numerous bands observed in the liquid phase were proposed basing on DFT and MP2 harmonic and anharmonic vibrational analyses. A short comparison of a few popular computational methods including B2PLYP functional with the aug-cc-pVTZ and N07D basis sets was performed.
Molecules
Today’s global art market is a billion-dollar business, attracting not only investors but also fo... more Today’s global art market is a billion-dollar business, attracting not only investors but also forgers. The high number of forged works requires reliable authentication procedures to mitigate the risk of investments. However, with the developments in the methodology, continuous time pressure and the threat of litigation, authenticating artwork is becoming increasingly complex. In this paper, we examined whether the decision process involved in the authenticity examination may be supported by machine learning algorithms. The idea is motivated by existing clinical decision support systems. We used a set of 55 artworks (including 12 forged ones) with determined attribution markers to train a decision tree model. From our preliminary results, it follows that it is a very promising technique able to support art experts. Decision trees are able to summarize the existing knowledge about all investigations and may also be used as a classifier for new paintings with known markers. However, l...
Challenges and Advances in Computational Chemistry and Physics
This chapter is dedicated to the application of selected spectroscopic techniques to investigatio... more This chapter is dedicated to the application of selected spectroscopic techniques to investigations on cultural heritage objects. The rapid technical advancement of Raman instrumentation, observed in the recent years, positioned this spectroscopy as an outmost tool in this field. The use of Raman spectroscopy in the analysis of chemical composition is presented for several classes of heritage materials: manuscripts, painting, ceramics, minerals, and amber. In Sect. 16.3, Vis fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy is presented as a tool allowing one to obtain information important for selecting proper preventive measures, in this case, exhibition policies safeguarding artifacts against photodegradation. The technique discussed here—the microfade testing (MFT)—allows monitoring color changes as induced by the action of light on a selected spot on the artifact in real time, thus giving the most direct, empirical clues to a possible future alteration of the objects’ appearance when it is exposed to light on a museum wall.
Journal of Raman Spectroscopy
Journal of Raman Spectroscopy
Geochemistry
Black or dark grey vessel surfaces with characteristic metallic lustre are recognised from variou... more Black or dark grey vessel surfaces with characteristic metallic lustre are recognised from various archaeological contexts throughout Europe. This feature is commonly attributed to the application of graphite-bearing coatings onto ceramic vessels. However, recent experimental studies have shown that a very similar visual effect can alternatively be achieved by polishing and, subsequently, firing in a reducing atmosphere (so-called smudging). In this study, experimentally manufactured ceramics as well as samples of prehistoric ware (dated to the Neolithic Age, late Bronze Age and early Iron Age) have been analysed to find the distinguishing features between graphite-based and non-mineral black coatings. In the low-magnification BSE images the well-preserved graphite-coated surfaces are characterized by a distinctive spotty pattern with numerous dark grey angular fragments of monomineralic or nearly monomineralic metamorphic rocks scattered in the clay groundmass. Provided that polished thin sections are skilfully prepared, individual graphite plates can be easily recognized in the near-surface layer of the sherds using polarized reflected light microscopy. A relatively homogeneous appearance is typical of the low-magnification BSE images of surfaces coated by smudging. At higher magnifications , presence of blurred darkish stains (presumably organic-derived, as indicated by elevated levels of biogenic elements) is characteristic of this kind of non-mineral black coatings. SEM-EDS and optical microscopy have been supplemented by micro-Raman spectroscopy, which allows differentiation between various carbonaceous phases.
Journal of Raman Spectroscopy
The chemical identification of materials is the first step for developing and implementing recomm... more The chemical identification of materials is the first step for developing and implementing recommendations for the care and display of resin cast and plastic objects in museum collections. This paper presents advantages as well as limitations of portable Raman. Therefore, a comparative analysis of portable and benchtop Raman instruments was performed in the study of materials found in the contemporary art collections of the National Museum in Krakow. The results of the Raman study were complemented with those obtained using Fourier transform infrared, near infra‐red, and gas chromatography mass spectrometry, in order to verify their accuracy. The results of this study showed that portable Raman spectroscopy is a suitable technique for the identification plastics in museum collections.
Applied Physics A
The aim of this study was to apply a new methodology using the combination of the hyperspectral i... more The aim of this study was to apply a new methodology using the combination of the hyperspectral imaging and the dry blood spot (DBS) collecting. Application of the hyperspectral imaging is fast and non-destructive. DBS method offers the advantage also on the micro-invasive blood collecting and low volume of required sample. During experimental step, the reflected light was recorded by two hyperspectral systems. The collection of 776 spectral bands in the VIS-NIR range (400-1000 nm) and 256 spectral bands in the SWIR range (970-2500 nm) was applied. Pixel has the size of 8 × 8 and 30 × 30 µm for VIS-NIR and SWIR camera, respectively. The obtained data in the form of hyperspectral cubes were treated with chemometric methods, i.e., minimum noise fraction and principal component analysis. It has been shown that the application of these methods on this type of data, by analyzing the scatter plots, allows a rapid analysis of the homogeneity of DBS, and the selection of representative areas for further analysis. It also gives the possibility of tracking the dynamics of changes occurring in biological traces applied on the surface. For the analyzed 28 blood samples, described method allowed to distinguish those blood stains because of time of apply.
Muzealnictwo
Not so long ago, Poland was one of the European countries which lacked a research centre which wo... more Not so long ago, Poland was one of the European countries which lacked a research centre which would support museum institutions. Meeting numerous needs, the National Museum in Cracow (NMC) had been sharing the resources of its Laboratory with other museum institutions. This is how the National Centre for Research on Heritage (hereafter the Centre) was founded. Relying on equipment and specialists from the NMC Laboratory, the Centre offers multilateral research on objects and collections to Polish museum institutions. It organises contests which all Polish museums may apply to with their research projects. The Centre focuses on three main activities. Firstly, it carries out technological projects comprising the composition and features of materials used to make works of art. Secondly, there are projects linking technological research with analyses of the state of preservation and environmental conditions in order to safeguard works or sets of art or which are particularly culturally...
Baltica
In this study the new mineralogical and geochemical evidence for the reason behind intensive resi... more In this study the new mineralogical and geochemical evidence for the reason behind intensive resin production in trees and the formation of Indonesian resin deposits is presented. The analysed specimens of the “Indonesian amber” were subjected to the following comprehensive investigations: PAS, IR, RS XRD and SEM-EDS. It was found that the resins are originated due to intensive volcanic activity. Based on spectroscopic investigations, “Indonesian amber” was assigned to the glessite group. The investigations revealed that the traces of volcanic activity have survived in the studied specimens in their structure were the presence of tonstein and inorganic minerals are related to volcanic phenomena. “Floating” in opaque solid–foam resin indicated that resinous substance was strongly heated trough volcanic activity.
Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 2012
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Papers by Barbara Łydżba-Kopczyńska