Study on the Painted Clay Sculptures of Ming Dynasty in Jingyin Temple of Taiyuan, China

Abstract The painted clay statues of Ming Dynasty in Grand Hall of Jingyin Temple not only boast exquisite design, unique style and complicated craftsmanship, but also have very high historical, artistic, scientific, social and cultural values. Unfortunately, damages in different forms were found since recent years and it is getting worse with the passage of time.For the reason, the comprehensive survey and scientific analysis of the statues of Ming dynasty of Jingyin Temple were conducted. In the survey, the structural features, the painting process, and historical characteristics of these statues were recorded in detail. In addition, a comprehensive study was performed on the materials and craftsmanship of the three painted clay statues by employing multiple analytical techniques, including polarized light microscope (PLM), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM/EDS), Raman spectrometer, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), granulometry, etc. The result helps to reveal the moulding process of painted statues, and further provide novel information and a scientific basis for the mechanism research of cultural relic deterioration and the later restoration. It is hoped that this research can provide reliable basic information for studies in related fields.