Characterization of decayed ceramic sculptures decorating the Pardon portico of Seville cathedral, Spain

摘要

The decay of the ceramic sculptures decorating the Pardon portico of Seville cathedral has been studied. The material of the corbels and canopies is alabaster. The presence of dolomite in some black veins initiates the high erosion of the material. The ceramics of the different sculptures show two groups of mineralogical composition: (a) quartz, gehlenite and wollastonite, and (b) illite, calcite and feldspars. The differences in colour of the sculptures are attributed to the firing temperature. The environment, the repair and fixing materials added to the sculptures, and interactions between the ceramic materials and the environment are responsible for the decay.