Chemical Composition: ICP-MS/AAA data from sample, Leaded Bronze:
Cu, 81.61; Sn, 4.31; Pb, 13.35; Zn, 0.01; Fe, 0.01; Ni, 0.12; Ag, 0.12; Sb, 0.1; As, 0.24; Bi, 0.091; Co, 0.043; Au, less than 0.01; Cd, less than 0.001
J. Riederer
Technical Observations: The patina is a dark greenish brown. The front surface has been coated with a shiny, wax-like substance. The piece is structurally sound, although pitted with porosity that breaks through to the surface. The surface has been stripped, removing much of the corrosion products and resulting in the loss of some of the original surface detail. Some corrosion and dark gray, quartzy mold material remains adhere to several smaller areas on the back.
The hollow, open-backed beard was cast by the indirect lost-wax process in one piece, together with the large rectangular-sectioned tang that served to mount it to its deity’s chin. The tang, which may also have served as a sprue for casting, was added in the wax to the molded beard. The striated texture of the braided beard on the front was probably done in the wax and may have been enhanced in the metal. It is not clear how the striations on the inner surface were formed. Some of them are probably the result of cleaning.
Francesca G. Bewer (submitted 2002)
