Chemical Composition: XRF data from Artax 1
Alloy: Leaded Bronze
Alloying Elements: copper, tin, lead
Other Elements: iron
K. Eremin, January 2014
Technical Observations: The patina is dark green with spots of red and light green. The surface is well preserved. Several small holes and flaws in the surface are casting flaws rather than areas of damage
The two components were cast separately. The handle endpoints are pressure fitted into holes at the top of the leaf plate. This join still allows movement between the two parts. The handle may have been cast as a straight shape and then hammered into a curve to meet and pressure fit into the leaf attachment. The leaf is rough on the back side, and the wax model used to cast it was probably poured or pressed into an open, one-sided mold. The incised lines in the leaf attachment were created through a combination of punch marks from an elongated point and tracer tool lines with small facets from individual blows of the hammer. A chisel point (4 mm wide) was used to clean up the back surface of the leaf attachment in preparation for joining it to the vessel.
Henry Lie (submitted 2011)
