Are ancient bronze vessels all of the same color?
Are ancient bronze vessels all of the same color? Obviously, that's not the case.
When ancient craftsmen cast different types of bronze ware, they would add different proportions of tin or lead to the copper solution based on the functional properties of the objects. In the handicraft monograph "Kao Gong Ji" in the Pre Qin period, the alloy composition (tin content) ratio of six kinds of bronzes was introduced in detail, There is a record in it: "There are six parts of gold, with gold and tin ranking first, which is called the Qi of Zhong Ding; five parts of gold and tin ranking first, which is called the Qi of Axe Jin; four parts of gold and tin ranking first, which is called the Qi of Ge Ji; three parts of gold and tin ranking first, which is called the Qi of Da Jian; five parts of gold and tin ranking second, which is called the Qi of Jian Sui; and half of gold and tin, which is called the Qi of Jian Sui, The ancients had already mastered the smelting and casting techniques of bronze ware well during the pre Qin period.
Due to the different proportions of tin and lead in the production of bronze ware, the colors presented after its formation are also different. Usually, the color of bronze ware is mainly determined by the amount of tin in copper, while lead affects the color of bronze ware to a certain extent. Due to the varying amounts of tin and lead added by ancient ancestors to copper, the surface of the bronze vessels produced would present different colors and glosses, roughly including golden yellow, orange yellow, light yellow, and gray white.
In addition, the ancients also decorated bronze vessels according to their needs by gilding, painting, inlaying gold and silver, and inlaying gemstones on the surface to obtain specific color patterns.
Due to the importance and value of ancient bronze vessels, they are currently mainly collected in museums and some cultural and museum research institutes. In addition, there are also a small number of people in the folk who collect ancient bronze ware. For the general public, it is difficult to access these artifacts, and the way to Close encounter them is relatively simple, mainly through visiting museums and exhibitions (as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3). When we observe ancient bronze at a close range in a museum, without the interpretation of professionals, the majority of the audience only skims through the details. More knowledge about ancient bronze is gained through the textual explanations in the exhibition hall.
The ancient bronze artifacts we see in museums are mainly excavated artifacts, and the reason why they appear turquoise is because these ancient bronze artifacts were buried underground for hundreds of years and caused by surface oxidation and corrosion. However, there is currently little introduction in museums about the similarities and differences in the surface colors of ancient bronze ware. The textual explanations of bronze ware mainly include brief introductions to its history, name, production process, and function. More professional knowledge can be found in some professional works and journal articles, with a small audience. This is often difficult for the general public to understand without relevant background knowledge support. Over time, it has caused a misunderstanding among the audience that the color of bronze ware is already like this.
In recent years, costume films and TV dramas have become very popular and popular; However, some of the props appearing in these plays often do not match historical facts. It is somewhat inappropriate for some ancient bronze props such as Ding and Gui that appear in historical dramas reflecting the pre Qin period to appear in a turquoise color (as shown in Figures 4 and 5).
As mentioned earlier, the color of bronze ware is mainly determined by the content of tin in copper. At that time, when Ding and Gui were made, they usually appeared golden yellow instead of the turquoise green we see now. In addition, Ding and Gui were mainly used for practical (cooking utensils) and sacrificial purposes in ancient times, and were frequently used. They were usually maintained by dedicated personnel and generally did not rust.
The occurrence of the above situation in the drama is obviously not rigorously verified, which to some extent may cause some misleading to the audience.
So, is it true that all ancient bronze artifacts unearthed in the museum exhibit a turquoise green surface after oxidation and corrosion? Not entirely, there are still some exceptions. For example, the world-famous Sword of Goujian (as shown in Figure 6) has been incorruptible for thousands of years; The bronze food utensils unearthed from the Chu Tomb No. 7 in Changtaiguan, Xinyang, Henan Province showed a golden appearance when unearthed (as shown in Figure 7). The discovery of these unearthed cultural relics has overturned people's impression of the appearance and image of traditional bronze artifacts, and has also given us the privilege of seeing their former style thousands of years later.
Why did the Sword of Goujian of the King of Yue and the bronze eating utensils unearthed from the 7th Chu Tomb at Changtaiguan, Xinyang, Henan, survive for thousands of years without decay? Archaeological experts have found that the reasons for this phenomenon may be related to the material composition ratio of the artifacts, casting technology, and burial environment. As for other reasons, further research is needed. For example, the Sword of Goujian is stainless for thousands of years because the sword body is plated with a layer of chromium metal, which is related to its production technology.
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