External-PIXE identification of material for popular music pipes during the late Meiji era, Japan

Two types of music pipes, Ginteki and Suifukin, that were popular during the late Meiji period in Japan were semi-quantitatively analyzed by the external-PIXE at RIKEN. The aim of this study is to identify the material used for these pipes and to assist the description to make an instrumental catalogue. Our results show that most of the collected Ginteki, literally silver flute, is composed of two parts. One is the whistle head of Pb-Sb alloy with the Pb to Sb ratio between 5.9 and 6.4; and the other is the main body with six holes which is made of tinplate. All of the Ginteki in this study are nickel coated. The Suifukin, on the contrary, is made of only tinplate and is not coated with nickel. (author)