| Abstract: | 54 pieces of Nonya wares (also known as Straits Chinese porcelains) were analysed using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence technique with an annular Am-241 source. Significant time correlation was found for only two elements, barium and cesium, when the ratio of the fluorescent intensity of each element to the intensity of the coherently scattered 26.4 keV gamma was plotted as a function of the time of manufacture. For trace barium, quantitative measurement showed that Nonya wares made from the Ch'ing dynasty to the Republic period had a barium content between 100 and 135 ppm, whereas modern reproduction pieces had much higher values. |
