The joined use of n.i. spectroscopic analyses – FTIR, Raman, visible reflectance spectrometry and EDXRF – to study drawings and illuminated manuscripts

Some art objects being small and very precious prevents conservators and conservation scientists from whatever kind of sampling, so that only completely non-invasive (n.i.) studies are permitted. Besides, also moving the object is sometimes forbidden: this happens for jewels as well as for manuscripts, illuminated codices, drawings and paintings. Some important physical n.i. analyses, such as PIXE and PIGE, therefore cannot be used in many cases. With these limitations, only imaging techniques in X, UV, Visible and IR bands, and a few spectroscopic methods that can be carried out with portable instruments can be applied, i.e. molecular spectroscopies like Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Raman, UV visible and near IR reflectance spectrometry (UV-Vis-NIR RS) and atomic spectroscopy like energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF).