A White Gem from Kyoto.

A small box, hitherto described as white lacquerware, currently displayed at the Chinese Pavilion, Drottningholm, Sweden, is an unusual example of artefacts imported from the Far East during the era of the East India Companies. By using microscopy for cross- and thin sections, X−ray fluorescence microscopy, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, some of the specific characteristics of the box are described, and it was possible to differentiate original from more recent restoration material. Among other findings, the results suggest that white glue tempera is a better description, based on indications of calcium carbonate and protein, and support an earlier attribution of the box to an Edo period doll maker in Kyoto. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]