Scientific Research Supporting the Study of Pigments and Dyes in Armenian Miniature Painting Art

Illuminated manuscripts can be considered among the most valuable testimonies of the heritage of a culture, either from the artistic or the historical point of view. They are usually produced upon commission in order to disseminate scientific or religious values, or to attest to the wealth of certain rulers. They are also extremely fragile works of art, so that their conservation is an important issue for the museum or library personnel responsible for them. Information about the materials contained in these works – such as pigments, inks, and supports - is essential for determining a conservation protocol; hence the utility of chemical analysis. Thorough knowledge of such artworks can benefit enormously from the chemical analysis of the materials which comprise the miniatures, the inks and the supports. The analytical techniques available today allow one to obtain very important information using non-invasive or micro-invasive methods. In this study, we will emphasize the possibilities afforded by chemical analysis to enhance our knowledge of the incredibly rich heritage that Armenian manuscripts represent.