Decorations and paintings are integral components of Iranian-Islamic architecture. Among the structures that continually evolve in their architectural ornaments and decorations are the mausoleums and shrines of religious figures. One such monument, adorned with diverse wall decorations, is the Imamzadeh Hamzeh ibn Musa (AS) mausoleum located in Dehneh Shirin village, Esfarayen, North Khorasan Province. This study aims to investigate the construction techniques of the wall decorations at the Imamzadeh through laboratory methods, including petrographic thin-section analysis (OPM) to identify the layers and their compositions, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to identify red and blue pigments. Petrographic analysis revealed four distinct layers in the wall paintings: the paint layer, the ground layer, the lower primer, and the upper primer. FTIR analysis could not identify the pigments, detecting only bands indicative of calcium sulfate and calcium carbonate in the studied samples. For more precise pigment identification, additional analyses such as Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) are required.
Promotional cinema facade paintings were created in the early 1950s to attract audiences to cinemas. With the advent of digital printing technology in the 1980s, these paintings lost their prominence and gradually fell into oblivion. Over time, they have become historical artifacts that require preservation and restoration. This study aims to identify the materials used in cinema facade paintings. The research employs a descriptive methodology, utilizing classical chemical laboratory techniques, digital and polarizing microscopes, and infrared spectroscopy. The results indicate that the paintings consist of three layers: support, base, and pigment. The support layer is made of cotton and fabric fibers, and silk is used in restoration efforts. The base composition includes gypsum, calcite, and white lead, while the pigments contain compounds such as white lead, calcite, Prussian blue, and black iron oxide.
