Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis of a pre-Columbian funerary gold mask from the Museum of Sican, Peru Cesareo R et al. - It was deduced from the measurements that the main sheet of the mask and the majority of the pendants have a similar composition and are made of tumbaga, which means a poor gold alloy enriched at the surface by depletion gilding, and have a similar equivalent gilding thickness of about 5 (micro)m. The nose, also on tumbaga, has different composition and a thickness of about 8 µm. The clamps are on gilded or on silvered copper. [more...]
