Characterization of Turquoise and Green Tonality Glazes in the Historical Monument of the Kerman Qara Khitai Period

In the art of tiling, turquoise and green colors have been the colors considered by traditional architects. Their beauty depends on the coloring materials as one of the important glaze materials. This study aims to obtain technical information about the historical glazes of the Green Dome of Kerman. Written sources and field surveys were conducted to obtain samples to achieve this goal, and the color components of the glazes were measured using the CIE L*a* b* system. The X-ray energy diffraction (EDX) spectroscopy method was used to determine the constituent elements in the existing glazes. The results analysis show that the color tonality of the green glazes is due to chromium oxide, copper, vanadium, nickel, and iron in the glaze. The results of the examination of samples of turquoise glaze demonstrate that copper oxide served as the color generator in the glazes and that potassium and sodium oxide also contributed to the strength of the turquoise color.