• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.15
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• pp.96-121
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• 2014

Portrait of Sim Huisu is a seventeenth-century Joseon portrait of a meritorious vassal. The National Museum of Korea currently owns two portraits of Sim Huisu, which are the eldest son's family and by the eldest grandson of the family's second eldest son. Both were donated in 1980. Portraits were still in its original mounting, but the supporting silk had been damaged and stained in a flood. Conservation treatment was undertaken to restore the original style, and scientific analysis, such as, X-ray, XRD, XRF and Graff "C" stain, was conducted to study the materials and painting techniques. The support silk was found to be refined fibroin and a plain weave consisting of two weft threads and one warp thread. The lining papers were found to be bamboo fiber paper of first layer in China and Korean traditional mulberry paper in second. Various pigments were identified in the painting, including white lead, cinnabar, atacamite, ink stick, azurite, silver, and gold. The study also confirmed the use of the back painting, with colors such as white ^{White Lead}, green ^Atacamite, orange ^Minium, black ^{Ink Stick}, and yellow ^Dye. Also, it was found that stick ink or dye was used with white lead.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.525-535
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• 2021

This study identified material properties through scientific analysis on Jikgeumdan(satin with gold threads) from Donggungbi-Wonsam and the gold threads used in the embroidery. The Donggungbi-Wonsam's base of gold threads were estimated to have used mulberry fiber's Korean paper(Hanji) because non-wood-based fibers were observed. The X-ray spectrometer showed that the Tongsuseulan of Donggungbi-Wonsam was a flat gold thread of pure gold and Jikgeumdan of flat silver thread of its Saekdong and Hansam. High sulfur levels were detected in the flat silver thread, which appeared to have formed silver sulfide by either manufacturing process using sulfur or conservation environment. he dragon insignia's embroidery is also described as two types twisted gold threads; pure gold and alloying-gold and silver. while dragon insignia's border line is decorated with a twisted gold thread of pure gold. In particular, it was investigated that adhesives such as an animal glue, a protein-based compound by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Additionally, XRF and Raman spectroscopy analysis on the mixture substances between the metal surface and the base paper of gold threads identified talc and quartz in the gold threads and Seokganju(hematite) in the flat silver threads.