In situ EDXRF analyses on Renaissance plaquettes and indoor bronzes patina problems and provenance clues

The preliminary work for the edition of the complete catalogs of Civic collections of Vicenza (Italy) was an occasion to study by energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) about 30 small bronzes and plaquettes of Italian Renaissance. It was necessary to perform in situ analyses directly in the museum without any possibility of sampling or cleaning the objects. We report the results of quantitative analysis on principal and trace elements; moreover, patina problems and the possible clues for raw materials provenance are faced