Methods of distinguishing the authenticity of bronzes
rust
Generally speaking, most of the bronzes unearthed at present have been handed down from generation to generation, such as blue rust, red rust, blue rust and purple embroidery. When you get a bronze ware, you must first look at it. If the rust color is integrated with the body, the depth is consistent, solid and uniform, and the luster is natural, it is a naturally generated rust color. If the rust color floats on the utensils, it is green but not bright, and the skin is rusty and not moist and dazzling, it is pseudo-rust.
Second, feelings and sounds.
Weigh by hand, too light and too heavy will attract attention. In addition, you can tap the object with your hand and listen to its sound, if it is thin and crisp; If the sound is cloudy, send it out? Huh? Voice, you need to be vigilant.
Three modes and modes
This is a key point in identifying bronzes. The patterns of Xia bronzes are simple; The decorative patterns in Shang Dynasty are gorgeous and numerous, many of which are covered with flowers. The Western Zhou Dynasty is roughly the same as Shang Dynasty, but it tends to be simple in the later period. The patterns in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period are fresh and lively; Qin and Han dynasties emphasized practicality. As for money, it can be distinguished mainly from its font. In Shang dynasty, the fonts were regular and the brushwork was vigorous and generous; At the beginning of the week, following the wave body; In the Spring and Autumn Period, calligraphy was divided into fat body and thin body. During the Warring States period, the inscriptions on bronzes were not exquisite; The Qin dynasty unified the characters, using the universal seal script.
Four copper and container types
The identification of copper is relatively simple. Look at the bottom of bronze. If it is brass, it is a fake. If the soles of your feet have been counterfeited with copper color, you can see their true colors by brushing them with hot alkaline water. In addition to remembering the types and names of bronzes, we should also know when bronzes were cast and what styles of bronzes were cast. For example, at the end of the Warring States period, Wei and Wei were square containers. If it's a three-generation work with rust color, it's a fake.
Bronze ware identification method
Forging identification method: The premise of forging identification from casting technology is to have a good understanding of the smelting and casting process of bronzes in various eras.
In Shang and Zhou Dynasties, most bronzes were cast by Fan Tao method. That is to say, the bronzes of Shang and Zhou dynasties all have fan marks left by the combined casting of several ceramic molds, that is, fan patterns. With the progress of the times, the method of combining patterns has changed, and the pattern marks will also change, but even the most skilled craftsmen will inevitably do so if they want to leave no trace in the place where the patterns are combined. Some casters have few decorative patterns on the surface, and the joint casting surface is large, so joint traces are easy to be ignored, but in hidden places, such as ding 'er and lower abdomen, traces will still be left. The forgers of later generations didn't know the principle and method of occupied casting, only paid attention to the shape of the objects, and still used wax pattern (lost wax) casting. The surface is fine and does not need to be processed, but this method is often far from the characteristics of the original utensils.
In addition, copper castings made in Fan Tao are based on the thickness of the controller wall, and washers are usually placed between the inner and outer fans. Because the material is different from copper liquid, the rust is also different, and the lost wax casting device does not need gaskets, so the rust is naturally consistent.
Discrimination of decorative patterns: decorative patterns are gorgeous coats, and a well-fitting coat is an important basis for distinguishing decorative patterns. People of different ages naturally wear different clothes, and so do bronzes. To get artifacts, we must first look at whether the shape of the artifacts is consistent with the style of the times. There are roughly the following kinds of falsification of decorative patterns: adding flowers. That is to say, on the original simple pattern of the physical object, or on the part without pattern in the light element, an appropriate pattern is engraved. Generally speaking, the carved patterns are consistent with the original patterns, but attention should be paid to the traces of cutting and stubble collapse. Flower removal method. That is to say, the original without pattern or perforation is carved and modified to make the original hollow. This pseudo-clipping method is very obvious and does not conform to the characteristics of the original device.
Discrimination of inscriptions
Identification of authenticity through inscriptions is a yardstick to test the breadth of contemporary historical knowledge, the depth of calligraphy research and the level of casting technology.
The inscriptions on bronzes are historical records, examples of the development and evolution of epigraphy and calligraphy, and the embodiment of superb casting skills. Song and Qing Dynasties were the main periods for forging inscriptions on bronze. Since the Song Dynasty, epigraphy has become the focus of epigraphy. As bronze wares with inscriptions in historical documents, they are often widely valued and have high economic value. Therefore, collectors focus on inscriptions when collecting bronzes.
There are several kinds of forgeries of bronze inscriptions: adding inscriptions. That is to say, when engraving on genuine tools without inscriptions, the inscriptions on the back are mostly dim, loose and unnatural, with a wide mouth and a narrow bottom, and gouges. The counterfeiter brushed off the chisel marks with a copper wire brush, but left brush marks, which also affected the strokes of the characters. Inscription. Is to carve a fake inscription on the original simple inscription; Or the inscription should have been written on the real musical instrument, but because of the lack of musical instruments, the inscription is also missing, so the inscription should be added together when repairing. After adding a fake inscription, its mouth, rust color and land are different from the real inscription. Moreover, the inscription on a vessel is not written by one person, so the style and charm are naturally inconsistent, especially the casting inscription is completely different from the engraving inscription. Corrosion method. The part of the bronze ware that needs to be carved is painted with wax, engraved with words, and then the body of the bronze ware is corroded with ferric chloride on the engraved wax. After the wax is removed, the sunken inscription naturally appears. This corroded inscription is inappropriate, with different shades of words and rough edges of strokes.
Shape discrimination: Shape discrimination is a test of the familiarity of bronzes in different times. With the development of the times, the shape, size and height of each bronze ware will change and form a law. For example, the large-scale ding in bronzes was the most popular from Erligang period of Shang Dynasty to Han Dynasty, but the ding shape of each era had different characteristics. It is the basis of bronze ware identification knowledge to fully understand the shape characteristics of various vessels in the times. Usually counterfeit goods are divided into two types: direct casting and patchwork transformation. Direct casting can be divided into two situations. In the first case, the fake device is cast according to the real device or related data, and its shape, inscription, decoration, etc. There are sources and references. Some equipment types or inscriptions are only partially R-referenced, and some are deliberately changed. For example, the model of the vessel is cast by reference, but the inscription is fabricated, or the reference brocade is cast on a completely different bronze vessel. Although the imitation of this fake device is not accurate, it still has a certain level. The second is an unfounded patchwork, which is intended to be amazing and achieve the goal of rare things. Such a fake is very challenging for people who are not familiar with the shape and characteristics of bronzes. If you don't observe them carefully, you may be taken in.
Appraisal method and appreciation of bronze wares
Material identification: identifying the materials of bronzes in different periods is a textual research on the identity of bronzes. Bronzes before the Warring States were all made of copper, tin and lead alloys. The more tin there is, the lighter the gray of copper is. Bronzes from Shang Dynasty to Warring States Period, copper is pure, and there are few grains of sand. Bronze imitation in Song Dynasty, the alloy composition is copper, tin, lead and a small amount of zinc, and the color of copper is yellow and red. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, tin composition was less, lead and zinc composition increased, and copper color turned yellow. However, in the Ming Dynasty, the color of utensils was yellow and white, while in the Qing Dynasty, it was yellow and yellow. Therefore, to distinguish the authenticity of copper depends on the quality and color of copper exposed at the bottom, foot, sun side and bottom.
Distinguish between sound and smell: Sound and smell are necessary auxiliary means to distinguish counterfeit bronzes.
Bronzes have been buried in the soil for thousands of years, and there is an earthy smell. The newly unearthed bronzes have a stronger earthy smell. The bronzes with deep underground corrosion have been mineralized, so the pronunciation is mostly voiced. Of course, bronzes buried in extremely dry and pure soil also have a good knocking sound. Most of the fakes after the Song Dynasty were brass, which was not oxidized or oxidized for a short time. When struck by hand, the sound is slender, crisp and tasteless, but it smells of sweat. This is because forgers use chemicals, such as sand pickled with acid salt and other fake seeds or fake rust, which still smell sour after being buried for many years. Some fake devices made or repaired with gypsum are light in texture and white in color, and their voices are hoarse when they are struck by hand. These are just general rules. Due to the different alloy composition, burial time, region and soil quality of bronzes, the light and heavy sounds are also different.
Bronze ware appreciation method
Name: Lotus Crane Square Pot
Year: Spring and Autumn Period
Dimensions: height 122cm, width 54cm and weight 64kg.
Appreciation: the square pot is huge. On the double-layer carved lotus petal cover stands a crane with a high neck and wings ready to fly. The hollowed-out double dragon ears are larger, from the air outlet to the abdomen. The four sides of the pot body are decorated with dragon patterns as the main body, and one dragon is cast at each corner of the abdomen. Two crouching tigers go around the first step. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the casting technology of bronzes developed rapidly, such as? Wax loss method? Invention, etc. However, the achievements of bronze casting technology at this stage are not only reflected in innovation, but also inherit and carry forward some excellent traditional technologies, such as? Separate casting method? . The crane, the double dragon ears and the vessel body were cast separately, which not only showed superb casting technology, but also reflected the trend of animal modeling portraits on bronzes at that time.
Name: with pattern
Time: Shang Dynasty
Dimensions: height 122cm, width 54cm and weight 64kg.
Appreciation: The retort is rectangular and deep box-shaped, with a small mouth and upright ears, a diaphragm in the mouth, a large abdomen, an inclined abdominal wall, a flat bottom with a grate hole and a tenon ring inserted into the mouth. This is an inclined shoulder, with a pair of round square ears and a flat crotch and hoof-shaped feet. The retort is decorated with a ring pattern. Pan appeared in the early Shang Dynasty, and the square pan was formed in the early Western Zhou Dynasty. So far, Pan is a continuous casting. Split dogs appeared in the early Spring and Autumn Period. 1923 Unearthed in Xinzheng, Henan Province.
Name: Lu Hou
Time: Early Western Zhou Dynasty
Size: height 20cm, width 16.2cm, weight 0.76kg
Appreciation: The body of the knight is slightly long and graceful, the tail of the knight is upturned, the wall of the knight is straight, and there is no column (Mr. Tang Lan thinks that the column is attached and polished after folding. ), small, decorated with animal heads, round bottom, leaving knife-shaped feet outside. The abdomen is decorated with two layers of clouds and thunder stripes with raised chords in the middle. There are two lines of 10 cast on the mouth wall of the tail, which is the longest inscription in the world. Lv Hou is a monk, a monk, and a respected alliance. The main idea of the inscription: Lu Hou made this question to put wine, betrothal gifts and alliance gifts in the temple where his father was sacrificed.
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