Chapter 749: If it’s really rusty, must it be a real tool? (800
In 1990, an iron sword with a copper core and handle was unearthed from the cemetery of the nobles of the Guo Kingdom in the late Western Zhou Dynasty in SMX, Henan.
This iron sword is a typical artifact made of copper and iron, and it is artificially smelted. It is called "China's First Sword" and is the earliest artificial iron smelting object discovered in China.
From this we can infer that the era of co-casting of copper and meteorite iron in Chinese history was from the late Shang Dynasty to the late Western Zhou Dynasty.
The era of artificial smelting of iron and copper to make vessels was technically mature by the late Western Zhou Dynasty at the latest.
Therefore, it is also possible that in the late Shang Dynasty, artificial smelting of iron and copper was combined to make utensils.
Obviously, this bronze has traces of artificial iron smelting, but this cannot prove that it is a modern imitation.
The shape, patina, decoration, and casting of the vessel are all fine, so what’s the problem?
There must be something wrong. If it weren't for the problem, this bronze would not have been appraised by Chen Wenzhe, because it would have passed the appraisal and been auctioned long ago.
But why didn't he find the problem?
Red spots and green embroidery? Soon, Chen Wenzhe discovered the problem.
He has a unique skill that can make red spots and green embroidery, so if he were asked to make this bronze, how would he create this effect?
Thinking of this, Chen Wenzhe took a closer look and felt that something was wrong no matter how he looked at it.
The green patina is so beautiful. Where can real bronzes be found with such beautiful green paint?
It is really as green as paint. Such beautiful green paint is evenly distributed. How could such a situation happen? It must have been artificially arranged!
Chen Wenzhe finally discovered the problem, but when he saw these green paints just now, they were all really rusty!
He couldn't help but pick up the magnifying glass again. Maybe he didn't look carefully enough just now. If he looks at it again, maybe it's not really rusty?
If you look closely at the surface of this bronze vessel, you will see the corrosion marks on it, which very intuitively reflect the growth process of the ancient bronze casting corrosion.
The red spots on the surface are green patina, in which the green rust is continuously distributed in the shape of small hills. The shape of the round green cast particles exactly reflects the green cast corrosion, which is squeezed and grown from between the red spots.
And it is the result of many years of action. Its growth is like a mushroom growing from a tree trunk, showing the form of corrosion, corrosion and crevice corrosion.
Due to the different environments and lengths of time it has experienced, you can still find a lot of differences between old rust and imitation new rust through careful inspection.
First of all, from the perspective of the level of rust, what grows on ancient bronzes is old natural rust, and the rust has obvious levels.
Generally, from the outside to the inside, it is divided into the upper rust layer, the main rust layer and the sub-rust layer longitudinally.
On the rust-soil bonding layer, common copper rust and attachments in the underground environment, such as mud or carbonized grass and wood chips, etc.
Under the rust binding layer, there is a layer of green or blue crystal rust, which is the main rust layer.
Below the main rust layer, there is a black or reddish-brown oxide film layer close to the copper, which is the ground rust layer.
These three layers of rust are in clear order and arranged reasonably.
Some ancient bronzes do not have a rust-soil bonding layer, or even a main body rust layer, but they must not be without a ground rust layer, which is very important for distinguishing old rust from new rust.
Most antique bronzes, due to their short time, usually have only one layer of floating rust.
Such bronzes have a single color, loose structure, and poor adhesion. If the floating rust is removed, the fresh copper body will be directly exposed.
Secondly, judging from the form of rust, the environment experienced by ancient bronzes is very complex. In addition to the damage and erosion experienced during use, there are also atmospheric corrosion, soil corrosion, etc.
This series of physical and chemical effects are constantly changing the bronze, forming various forms of rust on its surface.
Rust is constantly changing over time.
It can be said that the occurrence of bronze rust is the comprehensive result of various factors, man-made, natural, inevitable and accidental, over a long period of time.
These factors interact with the bronze wares and check and balance each other, presenting a natural and coordinated look.
This is not the case for antique bronze wares. The rust generally falls into two categories: chemical corrosion rust and adhesive rust.
Some counterfeiters use chemicals such as salt, vinegar, sulfuric acid, and hydrochloric acid to corrode copperware.
Or bury the newly imitated antique bronze in a damp underground for a few years.
Although the surface of copperware will also produce patina under severe chemical action.
However, these rusts are only rusts that occur in a short period of time. They have not experienced a long and complicated oxidation process and will not show that coordination and nature.
Even if the counterfeiters try every means to make it look like it has gone through thousands of years of vicissitudes, it is obviously of no avail.
An imitation is an imitation and cannot be the same as the real one. The patina on the bronze vessel in front of Chen Wenzhe is obviously real!
However, if it is really rusty, does it mean it must be the real thing?
For a moment, Chen Wenzhe thought of transplanting rust.
There is only one possibility that can cause the current situation, transplanting rust.
Look at the red spots and green rust on it. The red spots appear at intervals and are not important. They are mainly due to these green rusts.
So, how can you make such a beautiful patina?
And no matter how you look at it, there are no flaws, which is not simple.
If all the ancient green paint on this bronze vessel was transplanted, then this imitation must have been done with great effort.
Look at the various patterns on the surface of the bronze, especially the very conspicuous ear-tin pattern.
Use a needle to pick up a piece of green rust again and see if it falls off easily and whether it is stuck on.
Chen Wenzhe started from the rust-soil bonding layer on the surface of the ancient bronze. If this was imitation, it would be easy to have problems here.
This is the bonding layer of cast soil on the surface of the copperware. Because the copperware has experienced complex and changeable environmental effects for thousands of years underground, some attachments, mainly in the form of silica gel, are attached to the surface.
The form of these attachments is somewhere between cast etching and soil. Although they appear to be translucent and round colloidal crystals, they are stable and hard in performance and are not easy to burn.
The cast-soil bonding layer on the surface of the antique bronze ware is like dry powder mixed with the clay. It lacks gloss and lacks obvious mutual penetration. The cast-soil bonding layer is not firmly attached and easily falls off.
However, the rust cast in these places is not easy to fall off or burn easily.
Isn’t this transplant rust? If it were transplant rust, it couldn’t be so firmly attached, right?
He raised his head and looked at the elderly people who were staring at him. They must have thought there was something wrong, right?
Otherwise, it would be impossible to find someone to evaluate it again. To come to him is to treat a dead horse as a living horse doctor?
Do you really need to use tricks? Chen Wenzhe looked at the bronze in front of him. He really didn't want to cheat without seeing something.
Doing this only shows that he is not good at learning and has shortcomings.
"Haha, you old guys are just kidding here, right? If you really think this is a fake, just tell me what's wrong. If you can't tell me, don't deliberately find trouble here!"