Abstract
Based on recent pigment analyses of many dated caves and murals, as well as investigation of historical records and inscriptions in China, it is proposed that the most popular green pigment for wall painting and architecture might be copper trihydroxychlorides from North Dynasty (386–581 CE) until late Qing Dynasty (1840–1911 CE), rather than malachite. Furthermore, the synthetic technology of making bronze corrosion artificially probably began to dominate the green pigment supply in Five Dynasties (907–960 CE) or Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE).
Acknowledgements
The author would like to express his thanks to Xia Yin, Chandra Reedy, David Scott, Inge Fiedler, Francesca Casadio, Cathy Steward and John Twilley for kindly sharing their experiences and advising this research. Special thanks to J. S. Lee Memorial Fellowship Programme, which has afforded six months' fund for the author to specialize in Chinese pigments analysis as a visiting scholar in the Art Institute of Chicago.