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In practice, correction fluid to mask text errors has been continuously in demand since papers began to be predominantly used since the late fourth century AD in ancient China. However, research on the trajectory of correction fluid composition has been largely overlooked and has not been revealed currently. In this study, a multianalytical approach was used to investigate a thin whiteout layer, used as correction fluids applied in 1890, on a book page from the famous Imperial Encyclopedia (1726 bronze‐type repaint version). The results showed that the white layer was composed of hydrocerussite ((PbCO3)2·Pb (OH)2) in mixture with plant oil and a tiny portion of calcium carbonate, which had been applied to conceal the originally printed Chinese characters upon which they were rewritten in preparing photographic negatives for reprinting using photolithography. The analysis results also suggest that lead white was likely domestically made using a local lead ore source by the wet synthetic process. Considering the prolonged use of orpiment (As2S3) as a correction fluid ingredient in Chinese tradition, a trajectory to lead white suggests not only advances in pulping and papermaking technology but also a shift in cultural habits and aesthetic psychology in the late Qing Dynasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MC-ICP-MS analysis was conducted on fourteen bronze artifacts of the early Warring States Period (475–376 B.C.), excavated from Guozhuang Chu graveyard in Shangcai County, Henan Province, central China. The lead isotope ratios conform to the characteristics of common lead. Complex lead ore sources suggest Northeastern Jiangxi Province as the main sourcing area, while Southwestern Henan Province may also provide a small amount of lead ore. Some lead ore may also be derived from other countries, such as Ba, Qi, or Yan States. A further study shows that during the Warring States Period, the bronze cultural spheres around Jin, Qin, Chu, Qi, Yan, and Ba kingdoms share a distinctive feature based on lead isotope ratios. In the case of Chu, there were differences between border areas and king city regions, but on the whole, the difference was small. In addition, some raw material exchange may exist between the bronze cultural spheres of Chu, Jin, Qi, and Ba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]