Staff Profile
Beal Family Postgraduate Fellow in Conservation Science
celia_chari@harvard.edu / 617-495-5454
Ph.D., California Institute of Technology
M.A., California Institute of Technology
B.A., Trinity College Dublin
With a background in materials science, Celia S. Chari focuses on using spectroscopic techniques to non-invasively identify pigments in South Asian manuscripts, as well as studying the light-induced degradation mechanisms of arsenic sulfide pigments. In addition, she regularly carries out scientific analyses on objects throughout the collections at the museums, from 16th-century Indian manuscripts to medieval Spanish altarpieces.
Recent Publications
Chari, Celia S. et al. “Chemical Transformations of 2D Kaolinic Clay Mineral Surfaces from Sulfuric Acid Exposure.” Langmuir 39 (20) (2023): 6964–74.
Chari, Celia S. et al. “Nanoscale Engineering of Gold Particles in 18th-Century Böttger Lusters and Glazes.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119 (18) (2022): 1–9.