X‐ray fluorescence determination of trace element concentrations of zinc and arsenic and their relation to ceramic attribution

Absolute values of concentrations of zinc and arsenic for ceramics were obtained using an energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence technique. One hundred and fifteen pieces of Chinese Jingdezhen porcelains from late Ming to 1983, including a few non‐Jingdezhen pieces, were studied. For all pieces of Chinese porcelains made in Jingdezhen from late Ming to the Republic period, the results show that zinc was present in very small quantities (<70 ppm) whereas arsenic was completely absent. However, after World War II, many pieces were found to contain relatively large concentrations of both zinc and/or arsenic. This could then be a simple, non‐destructive method of detecting modern fakes.