Comparative Study of Pigments Used in 16th–17th Century CE Tempera Mural Art from Malayadipatti and Adiyamankottai Temple, Tamil Nadu, India

Eight micro-samples from mural paintings of Malayadipatti and Adiyamankottai temples in Tamil Nadu, India were studied using binocular microscopy, thin film crystal X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy to understand the original constituent materials of the pigments, binders and the methods of painting. Red paint had a mixture of cinnabar and hematite. The yellow colour resulted from orpiment. Orange hues were produced a mixture of orpiment and hematite. Grey colour was produced by a mixture of calcium carbonate and manganese dioxide. Black tones were prepared primarily using lamp black. The minerals used in both the temples were nearly identical. The appearance of proteinaceous materials/oils as a binding medium in all samples indicated the use of a tempera wall painting technique. These findings help improve our understanding of the methods and materials used in mural arts and serve as a guide for their future restoration.