Volume 8, Issue 3 (11-2025) KCR 2025, 8(3): 1-15 | Back to browse issues page

Mendeley

Zotero

RefWorks

Shirvani M. Identification of pigments in wall paintings from the Zand era in the Karim Khani Castle of Shiraz. KCR 2025; 8 (3) :1-15
URL: http://journal.richt.ir/kcr/article-1-394-en.html

Identification of pigments in wall paintings from the Zand era in the Karim Khani Castle of Shiraz

Maryam Shirvani ^*

Assistant professor, Department of Restoration of historical buildings, Faculty of Architecture and Restoration, Shiraz University of Arts, Shiraz, Iran.

Abstract: (15 Views)

The Karim Khani Castle is a monument from the Zand era in Shiraz. In this building, a wall painting is one of the decorations, which unfortunately was hidden under a layer of plaster during the Qajar era, so many studies have not been conducted to identify pigments from the Zand era. The aim of the study is to understand the structure of pigments in the Zand period wall paintings in the Karim Khani Castle. The question raised is what kind of materials are included in the composition of these coloring materials. For investigation, FT-IR, SEM-EDS, and RAMAN instrumental methods were used. The findings indicate that the red pigment compositions included lead oxide (syringe) and possibly iron oxide (late), the blue pigment included ultramarine blue (lapis lazuli), and the green pigment included malachite (mountain green), which were applied on gypsum substrates and an oil-based compound was used as a binder. The pigments have a mineral structure and are durable, and despite the introduction of European oil paints in Iran, these color compounds have not been used in mural painting.

Keywords: Mural painting, pigment, Karim Khan Castle, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman, scanning electron microscopy.

Type of Study: Research, Original, Regular | Subject: Conservation and restoration of historical-cultural architectural objects and decorations.
Received: 2025/10/5 | Accepted: 2026/01/20 | Published: 2026/03/11

References

1. Abbasi J, Bahadori R, Bozorgmehr M A, Beheshti S I, Bahrololoumi F. (2017). Identification of Materials and Pigments Used in Mural Painting of Rahim Abad Historic Garden & Mansion in Birjand. JRA 2 (2):63-76. http://dx.doi.org/10.29252/jra.2.2.63. [In Persian].

2. Ali Mohamadi Ardekani J. (2013). Synchronization of Literature and Painting. Yasavoli Publisher. [In Persian].

3. Afkhami Emleh Qashqai, P. (2017). A study of the customs and traditions of the social life of Iranians during the Zand period based on European travelogues, Quarterly Journal of Modern History, 7 (20): 33-49. [In Persian].

4. Asadpour, A. (2020). The Courtyard Landscape Changes of Karim Khan Citadel (Arg) in Shiraz based on Historical Photos & Documents. Archaeological Research of Iran, 10(25), 241-260. doi: 10.22084/nbsh.2020.19842.1995. https://doi.org/10.22084/nbsh.2020.19842.1995 .[In Persian].

5. Behrouzi, A. (1975). Historical Monuments and Works of Art of the Shiraz Plain, Shiraz, General Directorate of Culture and Art of Fars Province. [In Persian].

6. Caggiani M C, Cosentino A, Mangone A. (2016). Pigments Checker version 3.0, a handy set for conservation scientists: A free online Raman spectra database. Microchem. J. 129: 123- 132.

7. -Chaplin R T. D, Clark J. H., Martinón-Torres M. (2010). A combined Raman microscopy, XRF and SEM–EDX study of three valuable objects-A large painted leather screen and two illuminated title pages in 17th century books of ordinances of the Worshipful Company of Barbers, London. J. Mol. Struct. 976: 350-359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molstruc.2010.03.042

8. Clark R. J. H, Mirabaud S. (2006). Identification of the pigments on a sixteenth century Persian book of poetry by Raman microscopy. J. Raman Spectrosc. 37: 235-239. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.1473?urlappend=%3Futm_source%3Dresearchgate.net%26utm_medium%3Darticle.

9. Ettinghausen, R, Yarshater, E. (1990). The Brilliant Peaks of Iranian Art, translated by Rouyin Pakbaz and Hormoz Abdollahi, Tehran, Ageh. [In Persian].

10. Farahmand Borujeni, H; Abed Esfahani, A and Shishebari, T. (2012). Understanding the materials and techniques of mural painting in 5 buildings of the Ilkhanid period in Yazd. Restoration and Architecture of Iran. 2 (4): 97-112. [In Persian].

11. Franquelo M. L., Duran A, Herrera L. K., Jimenez de Haro M. C., Perez-Rodriguez J. L. (2009). Comparison between micro-Raman and micro-FTIR spectroscopy techniques for the characterization of pigments from southern spain cultural heritage. J. Mol. Struct. 924-926: 404-412. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molstruc.2008.11.041

12. Ghanooni, M., Sedghi, Y. and Saeedi, M. (2023). A Study of the Materials Used in Teymorid Miniature by Nondestructive Analyses. NDT Technology, 3(1), 64-71. doi: 10.30494/JNDT.2022.363229.1104. [In Persian].

13. Ghanbari, T., soltanzadeh, H. and Nasirsalami, M. R. (2018). Semiotic Matching of Architectural Pattern of Karim Khan Citadel with the Themes Underlying Zandiyeh Tribal Culture. Journal of Iranian Architecture & Urbanism(JIAU), 9(1), 193-209. doi: 10.30475/isau.2018.68588. [In Persian].

14. González-Cabrera M, Wieland K, Eitenberger E, Bleier A, Brunnbauer L, Limbeck A, Hutter H, Haisch C, Lendl B, Domínguez-Vidal A, Ayora-Cañada M. (2022). Multisensor hyperspectral imaging approach for the microchemical analysis of ultramarine blue pigments, Sci.: 12, 1–13.

15. Haswell R., Carlyle L, Mensch K. T. J. (2006). Van Gogh’s Painting Grounds: Quantitative determination of bulking agents (Extenders) using SEM/EDX. Microchim. Acta. 155: 163-167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-006-0536-7.

16. -Hekmatnia A M, Menbari S. (2017). Analyses of Painting Zand and Qajar Palace of karim Khan in two Periods Based on Laboratory Analyses. International Conference on Oriental Studies, Persian Literature and History. [In Persian].

17. -Josa V. G, Bertolino S. R., Laguens A, Riveros J. A, Castellano G. (2010). X-ray and scanning electron microscopy archaeometric studies of pigments from the Aguada culture, Argentina. Microchem. J. 96: 259-268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2010.03.010.

18. Jamali, Yousef. (2006). History of Iranian Developments in the Safavid Era, Isfahan: Najafabad Azad University. [In Persian].

19. - Kojbaf, A, A and Saeed, N (2018). Explanation and Evaluation of European Imported Goods in the Safavid Era, Historical Approach Quarterly, 7 (23): 95-112. [In Persian].

20. Kamali, A,R.(2006). Mural Painting in Iran, Tehran: Zohreh. [In Persian].

21. Koochakzaei A, Hamzavi Y, Shojae Far F. (2022). Identification of red, blue and golden pigments in Qajar Mural Painting anaclitic fire place in Goharion House in Tabriz. J Color Sci Tech. 15(4):287-99. [In Persian]. https://dorl.net/dor/20.1001.1.17358779.1400.15.4.3.4.

22. Mobasher Maghsoud E, Koochakzaei A. (2023). An overview of Traditional Pigments (Part II): Ultramarine Blue and Emerald Green, J. Stud. Color world, 12, (4): 369-385. https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.22517278.1401.12.4.5.6. [In Persian].

23. Mostafavi, S, M, T.(1964). Pars Region, Tehran, Iranian National Antiquities Association. [In Persian].

24. -Mirshamsi F, Mirzaabolghasemi M.S, Zarekhalili. F. (2017). Diversity of Plant Motives in Wall-Paintings at the Time of the Zand in Shiraz. Journal of Fine Arts: Visual Arts; 22(1): 43- 52. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22059/jfava.2017.61009 .

25. Mcbride, C. (2022). Pigment Particle & Fiber Atlas for Paper Conservators. Getty Trust Postgraduate Fello.

26. Nami Isfahani, M,S.(1984). History of the Giti-Gash in the History of the Zands, Tehran: Iqbal. [In Persian].

27. Razani, M., Kordi, M., Mortazavi, M. and Sedghi, Y. (2022). Study of Colorants Materials on the Decoration Patterns on the North and Southeast Porches of Soltanieh Dome, Zanjan, Iran. Archaeological Research of Iran, 11(31), 265-288. https://doi.org/10.22084/nb.2020.21774.2150 [In Persian].

28. Rajabi, G, A. (1999). Iran and Karim Khan Zand, Niktab Publications, Tehran. [In Persian].

29. Rahman Setayesh, M, Khosrojerdi, M. (2022). A study of the murals of the Zand period in Shiraz. Monthly Journal of Research in Art and Humanities. 2(41): 21- 31. [In Persian].

30. Sami, A.(1984). Shiraz, the Eternal City, Shiraz, Navid. [In Persian].

31. -Seif ,H. (2000). Painting on plaster. Sorosh Publisher. [In Persian].

32. Shayeste far, M. (2016). Shahbazi M. Visual and Conceptual aesthetics of Haftanan oil painting of Shiraz. Islamic Art; 12 (24): 21-32.

33. Sharif zadeh, A M. (1993). Murall Painting in Iran (Zand and Qajar). Organization of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism of Tehran Province. [In Persian].

34. Shafiei, F, Esfandiaripour H. (2004). Art and Architecture Exhibition in Karim Khani Palace, Shiraz: Organization of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism of Fars Province. [In Persian]

Send email to the article author

Rights and permissions
	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.