Non-Invasive Investigation of a 16th-Century Illuminated Scroll: Pigments, Fillers, and Metal-Based Decorations

The study and preservation of illuminated manuscripts, particularly miniatures on parchment, are crucial for understanding the artistic, cultural, and technological history of the past. This research investigates the materials used in a 16th-century illuminated scroll, analyzing both the miniatures and the written text through non-invasive techniques. A multi-analytical approach was applied, including optical microscopy, Hypercolorimetric Multispectral Imaging (HMI), infrared reflectography in the 950–1700 nm range, Fiber Optics Reflectance Spectroscopy (FORS), macro X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and External Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared (ER-FTIR) spectroscopy. These methods provided a comprehensive characterization of the painting materials’ chemical composition and the artistic techniques utilized, revealing new information on Renaissance materials and practices. The detected mineral pigments primarily include smalt, vermilion, lead white, and minium, which are consistent with materials commonly found in illuminated manuscripts. Aluminosilicate and calcite were identified as fillers or substrates utilized for organic dyes, particularly those generating pink hues. An uncommon finding was the green pigment, which was identified as copper hydroxynitrate. Furthermore, gold and silver were extensively employed in the decorative elements, both as metal foils and in shell pigment form. Finally, the capital letters were executed using smalt and vermilion, while the black text ink was characterized as iron gall ink, a composition typically employed on parchment supports.