Research on the Manufacturing Techniques of the Eastern Han Feudatory King's Coffin From Tomb No. 2 at Tushan, Xuzhou

Tomb No. 2 at Tushan, the most completely preserved Eastern Han princely tomb discovered nowadays, contains the feudatory king's lacquered coffin, which was examined using multianalytical techniques. Although the wooden core has severely deteriorated, analysis revealed a complex preserved structure comprising a cinnabar pigment layer above two distinct lacquer ash layers (tile-like ash containing SiO 2 and bone-derived ash with Ca 10 (PO 4 ) 6 (OH) 2 , SiO 2 , and Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ), where the lacquer mixture combined urushiol with tallow tree oil and incorporated calcined bos taurus bone material. These findings provide material science data essential for the conservation, identification, and restoration of similar lacquered artifacts from China's Eastern Han Dynasty.