91福利

Crystallography in Art and Archaeology 

The regular, and sometimes complex, arrangement of atoms and molecules in a crystal has always had a naturally artistic appearance. Subdivisions of 2D or 3D space using crystal-like shapes, repeated patterns, symmetry groups and crystallographic rules have been and still are a source of profound inspiration for many artists. Symmetry, or the lack of symmetry, has been a central concept in science since ancient times, and prevails in various fields of art such as painting, sculpture, architecture, music, dance, poetry. In the first part of the talk, various examples and illustrations will show how the formal qualities of a work of art intersects the basics of crystallography. The talk will also cover the recent implementation of crystallographic methods to address enigmas in archaeology and art such as the identification and provenance of materials, the trade routes, the elaboration procedures and the artists' know-how. Other issues are concerned with the authentication, transformation and preservation of artefacts. The history of these objects, as part of our cultural heritage, is often embedded in the structure and micro-structure of the component materials, and such fingerprints need to be deciphered every time ancient texts are silent or absent.