• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.24
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• pp.81-98
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• 2020

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive nondestructive analysis of Portrait of Master Gowun at Wunamyeongdang Shrine (Hereafter, Portrait of Choe Chiwon), Tangible Cultural Heritage No. 187 of Gyeongsangnam-do, including the underlying images drawn at the time of its production and the pigments present. The analysis revealed that the portrait was produced in 1793 at Ssanggyesa Temple in Hadong, Gyeongsangnam-do, which makes it the earliest known example among the extant portraits of Choe Chiwon. X-ray examination found images of a half-length boy monk and a full-length boy monk on either side of the portrait, which had been painted over and became invisible to the naked eye. XRF analysis of the pigments indicated that white lead was used for white, cinnabar and red lead for red, malachite for green, azurite for blue, and gold for gold. It was revealed that the overpainted boy monks were colored using the same pigments as those applied in the portrait of the main figure. It is hoped that the analysis of the pigments used for the boy monks can provide basic materials for research on the production of copied portraits and local Buddhist paintings. Also, additional research drawing upon other fields of study is required to examine the details of the inscription of the portrait.