The Bottesford Blue mystery: a Raman spectroscopic study of post-mediaeval glazed tiles

Abstract

A non-destructive study of post-mediaeval glazed tiles from Bottesford in Leicestershire, UK, was carried out using Raman spectroscopy. The dark-blue glazed tiles are unique to this region and there is little information available about the colouring or pigment used in their construction. To the authors’ knowledge, this investigation provides the first recorded example of the use of Raman spectroscopy in the characterisation of glazed, pigmented material from an archaeological investigation of standing historic buildings where spectra have been obtained through the glaze. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.