A MONITORING METHOD OF COLOR DECAYING FOR COLORED PATTERNS IN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE

Abstract. As a special part of architectural heritage, the colored pattern is not only artwork to decorate the architecture, but information reflecting specific historical era. So it has great cultural and artistic value. However, the colored pattern is one of the most sensitive types of cultural relics, which is sensitive to natural environment changes and highly vulnerable to erosion. In order to strengthen the protection of colored patterns in history architectures, it is necessary to monitor the status quo of them.

This work introduces a monitoring method of color decaying for colored patterns in architecture: set up the illuminants, adjust the illuminants, detect the color information and calculate the color difference. Based on the color difference by CIE DE2000 formula, the color decaying status of the pattern can be evaluated. The monitoring period should be at least three months.

About four years’ work has been carried out for colored patterns in the Long Corridor of the Summer Palace, and the color differences ΔE₀₀ are about from 2 to 5, some can be over 9. In result, most colored patterns keep in good health condition. Color decaying happens every time and there are slight changes in most colored patterns. In 2nd quarter 2017, aware changes happened in nearly all the patterns. According to the color difference to evaluate the color decaying of the colored patterns, it is an efficient method to analyze the health status of colored patterns.