brass alloy

Ingredients

copper, zinc

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The golden areas were created using a brass alloy leaf rather than pure gold (p. 4). This material was applied to the first pages for gilding and illumination (p. 2). Brass was used as a cost-effective alternative to genuine gold due to the abundance of copper ore in Iran and the high malleability of copper-based alloys (p. 5).

Evidence

"Specifically, the golden regions are composed of a brass alloy. This alloy was widely used as a cheaper alternative to gold in Iranian paintings during the Qajar era."

Remarks

The golden color had faded to green in some areas due to pigment degradation (p. 2). Raman spectra of these degraded areas showed bands around 1470 cm−1, characteristic of metal carboxylates, which are primary degradation products of brass pigment (p. 6). This corrosion is often caused by interaction with binders, paper sizing, or environmental pollutants (p. 6).