Study on the provenance and elemental distribution in the glaze of Tang Sancai by proton microprobe

In order to study the provenance and the composition of the colorants, different parts and colors of the glazes of Tang Sancai of three kilns were measured using proton microprobe. The analytical results show that distribution of Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti and Pb is homogeneous in the glaze. Fe is the main colorant element of yellow color, while Cu is the main colorant element of green color. The brown color is due to the mixture of compounds based on Fe and Cu. It was also found that the contents of K, Si and Pb are different for Tang Sancai of different provenance, which indicates they may be used for discrimination of provenance.