Bronze identification methods!

Bronze identification

1. Casting identification

The Shang and Zhou Dynasties, a great part of the bronze, cast in the Tao Fan method, unknown to future generations of this method, the counterfeiters can only use the wax mold (loss of wax) casting method. Because of the forgeries at that time, only pay attention to the appearance of the hand, do not know the principle of the ancient casting method, therefore, the special bronze casting pottery method, to determine the authenticity of the bronze, is an important method. Here there is a necessary condition, that is, the whole process of casting method of Shang and Zhou bronzes, to have a precise understanding. The casting method of the later pseudo-artifacts and the ancient casting method is completely different from the ceramic casting method, and thus the pseudo-artifacts show the casting phenomenon is not the same. Observe whether the main method of casting bronze pottery Fan method, is to look at the bronze whether there are traces of the block of Fan, that is, the matter has

"line", is to see should be together Fan at whether there is a pair of Fan marks. In the Shang and Zhou era, any piece of bronze container, it is block Fan collocation of traces have certain specifications, with the progress of the times, the method of Fan will also change, and any piece of block Fan casting of bronze, to be in the collocation of the place does not show traces of this even the most skillful masters, but also inevitably to do a seamless. Some ware decoration is not much, the surface of the mutual support group surface is large, the traces of the combined Fan easy to adorn, but in the hidden places, such as tripod ear and the lower part of the abdomen, will also be left behind traces of the. But with the wax mold method of forgery of bronze, the surface is more fine, a few can even achieve the same effect with the pottery casting method. Lost wax method can cast a variety of open head and have special decorations of the ware, do not need more processing, but with this method, the early forged bronze is no trace after. The later lost wax method is to paste the wax sheet on the mold, the wax sheet does not close the seam, after casting the traces shown, even make people mistake it for Fan line. The method of sticking wax is to mold first, stick a layer of wax tightly on the mold, the degree of its existence is the thickness of the bronze to be cast, carve the pattern on the wax and after modification, the wax piece can also be molded and pasted on, and then coated with fine clay one by one, in the wax piece of the block in order to meet, will produce a tiny non-joint or misplaced stripes, this situation in the bronze is recessed in the Fan marks. Newly cast wares are generally heavier than the original wares, which is usually different from the pseudo wares or imitations buried in the ground for more than 2000 years and after long-term cultural corrosion. After thousands of years of slow corrosion of bronze, because of the amount of oxygen, so that the surface of a slight expansion, the specific gravity of the decline, while the pseudo-cast products do not have this process, it appears heavier. On the other hand, the pseudo-ware of the wax mold manufacturing are slightly thicker than the original, the imitators often do not see the original, and thus the molding of the wax tire also failed to be as thin as the original wall, which is an inherent fault, and thus the pseudo-casting of the ware are generally thicker than the original, the above two factors are superimposed on the pseudo-products are obviously heavier than the original.

Forgeries are new casting, after knocking sound crisp, as if the new copper, and after deep underground corrosion of bronze, copper has been mineralized, so the pronunciation of the turbid mostly. Of course, buried in the extremely dry and pure soil layer of bronze, knocking sound is also very good.

Ancient block casting of bronze, the surface finish is good, the pattern is even the slightest discernible, the surface of the temperature hole is rare, and even less copper infusion to the case of shrinkage. Lost wax and sand casting of the pseudo-ware, often in the surface of certain sand eyes, some even produce shrinkage and other casting defects. If you do not understand this point, it is likely to wrongly assume that the sand eyes and shrinkage holes are the characteristics of the old casting.

2. Form identification

Each type of bronze, with the different times, have its development and change of the law. Such as tripod is a large category of bronze, since the Shang Dynasty Erligang period to the Han Dynasty, the popularity of the longest time, but the shape of the tripod in each era have different characteristics. A comprehensive grasp of the characteristics of the shape of all types of ware in the era is the basis of the knowledge of bronze identification. Pseudo-ware can be divided into two categories: direct casting and patchwork transformation. Direct casting can be divided into two situations. The first situation is the casting of the pseudo-artifacts, its shape and inscriptions are some of this, although the imitation is not accurate, but there is a certain level. The second is unfounded miscellaneous spell, intended to make strange, rare for expensive. Direct casting of the pseudo-artifacts, some of the shape or inscription only part of the original, part of the intention to change the kind. Such as the shape of some

this, but cast on the fabrication of the inscription, or inscription some of this, but cast on the irrelevant ware. Patchwork transformation of forgery, is a very low level of forgery, if not carefully observed, there is also the possibility of being fooled. Most of this kind of forgery is in the harmony of the artifacts on the part of the transformation, so that people produce a sense of novelty, so that you can get a lot of money.

3. Inscriptions to identify forgery

Since the Song Dynasty, gold and stone in all cultural relics have a unique position, goldsmiths focus on the text, as a historical document treated as bronze inscriptions

Wen, often have a high economic value. At that time collectors of bronze collection, often favored in the inscription, the late Qing Dynasty is the main period of inscription forgery. The casting of bronze inscriptions in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, is to make another piece of the inscription model, embedded in the main body within the model. Some inscriptions embedded very flat, no obvious traces around. There are also embedded lower rough, protruding from the surface of the vessel, such as the Qin Gong Gui, assortment of inscriptions are so. In the Shang and Zhou dynasties in casting a long inscription, some also have to draw a good line or hit a good grid, so the general inscription horizontal line straight line are more regular, and engaged in the pottery model engraved inscription on the technology

Workers, the technology is very high, the writing is also very fluent.

Because of the Fan clay inscription is Yang line, so the inscription on the Fan Yang text in the carving is completed, multiplied by the wet embedded in the main body of the Fan, the thickness of the word mouth to avoid contact with the outer Fan and need to be corrected, may have to make a micro-contact, and the main body of the Fan corrected so that the Yang text of the mouth on the large, and the casting of the inscription is often the word mouth of the bottom of the small large feeling. This must be fine observation to find. At the same time in the mouth of the word with frosted glass as uniform as the sense of lightlessness, the font strokes of the turn, a very natural round potential. Of course, this is only in part of the Shang and early Western Zhou bronzes are so. And the later inscription, some are some of this, the font is more constrained, dull, the word mouth within the knife chisel marks, either hidden or obvious. The bronze cast with the sand-turning method, the clay particles are coarser, the surface of the inscription strokes is different from the delicate Fan clay casting.

4. Bronze sound and taste to identify pseudo

Shanghai and Zhou bronze mostly for the copper wall tin-lead alloy, knocking by hand, the sound is crisp, as buried in the soil for thousands of years, there is a smell of earth, newly unearthed bronze earth smell is more intense. After the Song forgeries are mostly brass, and not oxidized or oxidation time is shorter, knocking by hand, the sound of long and thin turbid, no earthy flavor, but there is a sweaty smell, this is due to the forgers more chemicals, such as salammoniac acid salts and other false ground or false rust, although buried for many years, there is still an acidic smell. Some of the plaster production or repair of the pseudo-artifacts, light texture, white color, knocking with the hand, its sound hoarse. These are just general rules

Law, due to the alloy composition of copper, buried for a long time, the region, soil quality, etc., the light sound makes a difference.

5. Bronze Bronze Identification

Before the Warring States period, all copper, tin and lead alloy bronze. The greater the composition of tin, the lighter the gray color of the copper. Shang to the Warring States bronze copper pure copper, very few sand particles. Song imitation bronze, the alloy composition of copper, tin, lead and a small amount of zinc, copper color is yellow in red. Ming and qing dynasty forgeries containing tin component is very little, and lead and zinc components increased, copper color are yellow, but the Ming dynasty forgeries color is yellow in white, qing dynasty forgeries color is yellow in yellow. Therefore, identify the authenticity of copper, but also to see, foot, mouth, the bottom of the exposed copper color.

Three, the bronze break

Tang Dynasty before the bronze is customarily referred to as the ancient bronze, its history is both long, the development of change is also very large. From the Shang Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, each period of bronze in the casting process, patterns, inscriptions have their own characteristics. For example, the patterns of Shang Dynasty bronzes are mostly plain, two-layer and three-layer patterns; the patterns are exaggerated and modified animal images, such as four-legged animals, which were changed to two legs in some bronze patterns, and some animal feathers were replaced with seal-shaped patterns, etc. The Taotie pattern of plain bronzes was also changed to two-legged animals. The taotie motifs of plain bronze wares are often filled with returns between the images, with large spaces filled with large square and fine returns, small spaces filled with small square and fine returns, and tiny spaces filled with small dotted square and fine returns or small rectangular and fine returns. The decoration of the second layer pattern is mostly narrow and convex, often kui dragons, and the space is filled with fine repousse. The three-layer pattern is characterized by a raised pattern on the object, and the concave space next to it is filled with a fine retracement. Three-layer pattern of bronze, mostly with a ridge, such as the Shang square tripod, four sides are taotie pattern, under the mouth of the kui, taotie face pattern in the belly of the tripod, the middle of the ridge, four corners of the ridge, the ridge has an open mouth pattern.

There are many Shang Dynasty bronzes with plain lines in the belly, bordered by kui and grass dragons, or raised sphinxes, as well as beasts, horns and leaves, cicadas, lords, and so on.

Another feature of the Shang Dynasty copper pattern is the vagina is deep and the bottom is flat, the pattern is very regular and powerful. Early Shang dynasty copper pattern brown and flat pattern more, mostly thin tire copper. The middle mother model casting seamless, pattern is very detailed, fine back to fill the space, some fine as bristles. Sesame seed grain space, also filled with small dots long or square fine back pattern.

Another feature of the Shang Dynasty copper: square round, wine containers, gui, pots, etc., inside the foot is mostly flat bottom, and there is a convex reticulation, reticulation is a combination of diamond-shaped.

Commercial copper ware on more copper nails, which is the artifact casting, with copper water to fill holes formed. Shang dynasty copper ware is also useful for sub-casting method, but less. Such as artifacts on the ear, the head of the animal, can be cast separately, and then placed on the casting mold, in the casting of the body of the copper water will be linked to the body into a whole. In the Shang Dynasty, there is no big and small welding technology, to copper welding copper (i.e., big welding) is only after the Warring States.

Zhou Dynasty copper from the casting process, than the Shang Dynasty copper rough, with more inscriptions, such as the Zhou Dynasty Guo Jizi white disk, animal head ring, flat brown pattern, the inscription up to more than a hundred words. Bon tripod, the belly is to Su pattern, under the mouth is animal face pattern, kui pattern, the inscription up to more than two hundred words. In addition, copper gui, beans, and so on, most of the brown pattern, the inscription of 20 or 30 words to name a few.

Spring and Autumn period of copper with the Western Zhou copper similar, but the pattern has evolved evolution, the emergence of the waling pattern, fish scale pattern, snake pattern, crawling animal pattern, and so on.

The early Warring States period is similar to the Spring and Autumn period, but the middle and late period is very different. During the Warring States period, our ancestors had mastered the techniques of gilding and silvering and inlaying, and traces of spinning, riveting, and eyeletting are found on the right side of bronze objects at this time, as well as traces of engraved burin patterns and inscriptions.

From the ancient bronze casting patterns, inscriptions, the alternation of dynasties in the period of the objects have a clear relationship of inheritance, and to the middle and late, it is gradually parted ways.

Many of the Han Dynasty bronzes are plain, most of them are still cast, and some patterns and inscriptions are engraved with a burin. For example, the patterns on gilt cups, trousseaux, boxes, bowls and other utensils of the Han Dynasty were mostly engraved.

Bronze wares after the Han Dynasty and up to the Tang Dynasty were cast with a lot of patterns, including copper, gold and silver wares with beaten materials, and the technique of large and small soldering was also developed.

Respondent's additions ?2009-10-14 13:54 As the saying goes, "The chaotic world to hide the gold, the prosperity of the collection." In recent years, with the continuous improvement of people's living standards, antique collection has aroused people's strong interest. However, the majority of the collection of enthusiasts is the most troublesome, the market is often difficult to distinguish between real and fake antiques, some people will even be years of savings of huge sums of money down the drain.

According to the provincial cultural relics experts, now in the cultural relics market circulation of antiques for a considerable part of the fake. Antique collection enthusiasts who lack the necessary knowledge, it is inevitable to be cheated. So, how can we set the right mindset, swim in the antique market without being cheated? A few days ago, the reporter carried out some exploration --

"Antiquity" and "forgeries" are two different things

Early in March, the reporter visited a number of well-known provincial Wen Bo experts. Mention of antique counterfeiting, experts have always believed that the first thing to distinguish between antiquity and forgery of the similarities and differences.

The so-called antique imitation, refers to the future generation to imitate the previous generation of famous products and imitation out of the species. Imitation of antiquity for two reasons: one is to learn from the previous generation and the strengths of others, such as the Song Dynasty, Ru, official, brother, five famous kilns, at that time there were other kilns imitation, although there are fine and coarse points, but also can be popular in the world. The second is the ancient, that is, the ancient people's reverence and admiration. From ancient times to the present there has been the trend of imitating antiques.

And pseudo-works generally appeared in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, that is, in the original antique treasures on the basis of re-processing, to take after the color, after the addition of the year, grinding the bottom, reorganization, old and other methods, pretending to be the real thing. This pursuit of pure commercial profit for the purpose of forgery, has long been out of antiquity, is forgery.

Experts believe that antiquity and forgery are not genuine, but the value of the difference is great. To a Ming dynasty Wanli years imitation of Xuande furnace, for example, its value is not as good as the real Xuande furnace, but there is still a great collection value. The modern imitation of the "Xuande stove", its value is of course greatly reduced.

In order to facilitate the reading, the reporter specially antique collection is divided into four categories, one by one, please experts to comment, hoping to give the majority of collectors alarm bells.

One of the secrets: imitation porcelain is difficult to distinguish

Porcelain forgery techniques are varied, so that the majority of collectors can not prevent. A collection of ten years in the industry, Mr. Jia said in detail for the reporter joints. In order to collect porcelain, he did not pay a lot of "tuition". According to the old Jia's experience as well as the analysis of provincial cultural relics experts, the reporter roughly porcelain forgery into several categories.

1, the new porcelain old curium old Jia was first fooled, is to spend a high price to buy this fake. At that time, the old less experienced Jia, in the North City antique market found a blue and white porcelain bottle, because the bottle is determined to be curium (used to connect the metal two feet of the artifacts nail) is the Yuan Dynasty, it is believed that the bottle is also the Yuan Dynasty. Later, looking for expert appraisal only to realize that it is a fake.

Expert analysis: the newly made porcelain broken, with ancient curium to connect the pieces together, which is a relatively common forgery techniques. General collectors to determine the age of the curium, according to which to infer the age of the porcelain, on the imitators when. Because of the imitation is easy, the Ming Dynasty curium can now be sold on the market to several hundred dollars a.

2, the old bottom of the new porcelain collection of porcelain in the fourth year, the old Jia with a few friends to go to the countryside "treasure". The locals showed a bottom on the bottom of a tribute to the Imperial drop paragraph of the porcelain bowl. "I see the drop and the Song Dynasty Jianzhou kiln is very similar, think more collectible, bought. After returning and friends carefully study only to find that the bottom of the bowl at a circle of glue, indicating that the bottom of this bowl is glued on!"

Expert analysis: this method is also more common, because the seal on the bottom of the porcelain drop is difficult to imitate, so some imitators from the broken or does not have a high economic value of the porcelain will be cut down the old bottom, and imitation of the porcelain body spliced together, fired into a new porcelain, and then sold to the inexperienced.

3, plus color "In 2003, I bought from a friend in the hands of the Kangxi period of the Qing dynasty five-color figure pattern bottle, because the Qing dynasty figure pattern porcelain heirloom quantity is small, I hard to spend a big price of five figures. Last year, the family was in a hurry to use the money to get the auction house, people said it was fake, the figures are newly painted."

Expert analysis: add color in this type of techniques, including the real tire false color, that is, no decoration of the ancient plain porcelain plus painting, re-firing and become; make up for the loss of the new, that is, the old broken plain porcelain sticking into the ware, in the cracked joints filled with hard color decoration, which covers the damage and become. But the use of this technique is not too much, one is to re-fire the porcelain is easy to burn, the second old genuine porcelain is not easy to find.

4, high-fidelity porcelain according to experts, high-tech means are used to fake cultural relics, can make the fake peak, self-contained system. For example, the use of three-dimensional scanning technology to make things exactly the same as the original, and the use of silicone rubber flip-mold technology, so that imitations on the pattern and the original does not have any difference. In the face of such a high simulation of porcelain, even if there is a certain ability to identify, it is difficult to distinguish the authenticity.

Secret two: painting and calligraphy market mixed

Ancient paintings and masterpieces have always been the object of pursuit, but also a good investment in works of art, but also the main goal of the successive generations of counterfeiters. Mixed painting and calligraphy market is a good place to collect enthusiasts Taobao, but also counterfeiters "paradise".

Mr. Zhang has a strong interest in ancient paintings and calligraphy, because he likes to look for ancient paintings and calligraphy wherever he goes, some hobby collection of friends to give him a nickname "painting people". According to the former President of the Palace Museum, Zhi Yunting, Mr. Zhang has hundreds of more valuable paintings and calligraphy, but some of them are fake.

The method of painting and calligraphy forgery can be basically attributed to two categories: one is completely fake, that is, the use of hooks, fill in, pro, copying and other means, more than according to the original master, according to its penmanship, composition characteristics of the "creation". This type of method often reveals the penmanship style of the forger, the cracks are more obvious. But some completely out of thin air fabrication, just under the name of the celebrity, regardless of its style of painting and calligraphy, because it can not be proved, but easy to deceive people. The second is the use of the original painting itself as a fake. Take more digging, scraping, change, add paragraph prints, or to disassemble, cut and other means to change the original work, posing as a famous work for profit. This kind of technical treatment of counterfeiting is generally by the framing, restoration of master craftsmen and painting business or forgery painter to complete the cooperation. Sometimes the real mixed with the fake, so that people are not easy to distinguish. For example, will be through the scene screen split into a single, hand scroll cut into several sections; or to change the big small, miscellaneous albums and so on. In addition, there are some use of high-tech means such as scanning, the production of fake paintings, although not easy to identify, but very rare in the market.

Revealed three: forged ancient jade indiscriminately

The formation and development of jade culture is one of the main features of the origin of Chinese civilization, but also one of the cornerstones of the culture of the Chinese nation. In the eyes of the Chinese, jade is distinctive, and it has transcended the realm of mere taxonomy to become the spiritual support of the Chinese nation. Counterfeiters are also looking at this point, playing a crooked idea.

Reporters intend to enter the industry to learn from experience, introduced by a friend, came to a small courtyard in Huanggu District, met a "make" ancient jade master. Although he looks just over thirty years old, but the circle of people call him uncle light.

It is said that the light uncle's "unique secrets" is for the old. In the line of antiques, old and fake is the same thing, but the technical content of the old is much larger, light uncle in this line is famous because he special, work fine. The size of the probability of people's eyes is the only criterion for the examination of the ability to make the old high and low.

"This is a 'child', do not know anything, you give a little more detail." Park, who brought the reporter here, explained to Uncle Guang. Uncle Guang took a Buddha's head on the table to the reporter to see: "How is it?" "The carving is outstanding, quite charming, but it seems to be new." The reporter at first bold, according to the small Park taught to Uncle Guang said. Uncle Guang seems quite pleased: "Oh, eyesight is good, you look at this."

"Tang?" "Five Dynasties?" "Song, right?" ...... Look at the reporter is bewildered, Uncle Light's eyes are bright. "Little girl, and just now is the same, just dealt with a little." Then, the light uncle told the "make" two main methods of ancient jade, one called "pulp", one called "seep".

"Sizing" can be explained by a common example. A hoe is used for years and years of wooden handle, will form a layer of luster. This kind of luster moist thick natural, and wooden handle as one, warm and smooth as jade, this is the "pulp". "Pulp" can not be formed in a short period of time, but also not a variety of paints, coatings can be shown. Hundred years old table, old cabinet, old chair, where is often touched, friction parts, there will be different degrees of pulp. If a new jade wants to have encrustation it has to be touched constantly by human hands, and it takes at least two months to achieve the effect. "I'm not going to lie, the Buddha head you just saw I sleep with my arms around at night." Uncle Guang said slyly.

"Qin" is better understood. Some things that come out of the ground will form seeps during the years they are buried in the ground. That is, the material in the soil (including the material contained in the moisture in the soil) will gradually seep into these things, and the formation of recognizable traces. The seepage is divided into soil seepage, water seepage, blood seepage (the characteristics of objects in or next to the coffin of the corpse in ancient tombs) and so on. Even if the artifacts are not in the ground, as long as they can be on the age, there will also be natural environment to leave the seep, this seep is not a high level of people can not be seen at a glance. There are two main methods of imitating seeps, namely baking and using chemicals. For example, the jade baked into the reddish-brown solution to do fake soil seepage, with fire to do fake water seepage and so on.

According to Uncle Kuang, the identification of old and new jade depends on the knife work when it is made on the one hand, and on the other hand, we have to look at the corrosion condition of the jade surface and see the jade color. Jade made in modern times often pursue the effect of ancient jade, sometimes made to look like it, but there is always a difference. If you get a piece of ancient jade, its color is different from the color of the standard works we know, then we should carefully analyze whether this color is the ancient jade percolating color that we don't know, or artificially made old, in order to judge the old and new of the works.

Revealed four: fake bronzes are a great sight

21st century BC, the Shangzhou slavery society, bronze ceremonial objects is a symbol of the status of the aristocracy. For the collection of bronze has never been a top priority. Collection of dozens of porcelain, wood, paintings and calligraphy collectors is not uncommon, while the collection of dozens of bronzes are only a handful of people. With the depth of people's knowledge of bronzes, more and more people began to like bronzes, with the market, counterfeiters will take advantage of the situation.

The reporter interviewed the bronze collector Mr. Huang De on this issue. Mr. Huang according to his own collection of many years of experience, the bronze forgery summarized four methods:

Inlay method. Will be newly made bronze with acid for old, and then from the old artifacts scraped off the old rust inlaid on the bronze, this way is very attractive to those who just consider the old rust, do not look at the type of primary collectors. Inlaid with the old rust are generally selected in the mouth edge, decoration, skin and other easy to see parts. This kind of old identification method is not just look at the old rust, but to go up to identify the authenticity of the object as a whole. Moreover, as long as you play carefully, you will find that the rust will come off very unnaturally, so it is better to recognize.

Post-engraving method. An old artifact, there is no ornamentation on it, and later carved with flowers and meticulous carving. This kind of artifact is identified by looking at the grooves of the pulp and rust color, if it is newly carved, the pulp in the grooves must have been destroyed. In addition, what period of ornamentation should have what period of the vessel type, such as the Shang Dynasty tripod, carved with the decoration of the Warring States period, is certainly Zhang Guanli.

The remnants of the whole vessel. In the market, the odd shape of the things must be careful, there may be some remnants of the cobbled together. For example, with the lower part into a li; the basin changed into a jennet and so on. This method of forgery in the market to see the most, so in the encounter peculiar type of things, buyers must be careful.

New tire paste old skin. Made into a new object, with the old skin according to the real object pattern carved out, carved and the old bronze the same thing pasted to the new object, do most of the high-relief carving works. This kind of artifacts should look at the tire rust color and skin rust color is the same.

Expert advice: treasure should have a normal heart

For the majority of collectors should be how to face the complexity of the antique market, the provincial cultural relics experts suggested that the collectors themselves should not take chances, hoping to collect antiques by the collection of overnight wealth, and even want to always pick a small advantage. Collection of this is an elegant thing, in order to nourish, cultivate sentiment, and can not be profit for the purpose, this is not in line with the law of collection. And this kind of luck is to give counterfeiters to provide an opportunity to take advantage of.

In addition, the theoretical identification of knowledge on the books, and there is a big gap in practice. Don't think they read some books about identification knowledge, you can basically identify the authenticity of the first books read how accurate it can not be determined, some books are used on the fake photos, which will be misleading to the reader. Secondly, a curio if you do not personally get your hands on a few times, in the perceptual understanding of the gap will always be there, it is easy to make a wrong judgment based on one-sided experience.