The color of bronze

canaan · 25th April 2006, 04:03 PM

I am a bit confused about this.
In my history book, I have seen picture of ancient preserved bronze weapons.
Their color was dark brown, with no specular light or reflection.
I wonder if that was also the original color of those bronze weapons? or was it more shiny and with reflection? because I think some of today's bronze products are more shiny and reflective?
If there is a picture to demonstrate this it would be very good.

Thanks in advance.

Ian · 25th April 2006, 04:55 PM

Bronze can take many different colors depending on the relative amounts of copper and tin, and how the bronze is treated. It is also possible to create many different patinas artificially. There is some helpful information on these sites:

http://www.grayson.edu/grayson/homep...rks/bronze.htm
http://www.whiteriverfoundry.com/bro...ina_basics.htm
http://www.mckaylodge.com/tylerdavid...technical.html

Bronze is distinguished from brass metallurgically based on the metals included in the alloy -- brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Just looking at an object, it can be very difficult to distinguish between brass and bronze.

Ian.

Battara · 25th April 2006, 11:40 PM

All I would add to what Ian has said is that brass seems a little more yellow than bronze, again depending on the amount of copper is present.

PUFF · 26th April 2006, 05:53 AM

Colors of old bronze artifact are mainly due to patination which is environment dependant. Bronze compositions are varied, even within a culture. There are recipe for 2-9 (and 9+) components alloy for Siamese bronze. Some of them go closer to brass and some of them contains gold. So you can find a full spectrum of red to yellow color. And evenmore complicate, different alloy element makes different patination rate. There 's a microscopic analysis for fake patination but it 's quite difficult to determine origin/composition/age of bronze by their colors.

25th April 2006, 04:03 PM	#1
canaan Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 3	The color of bronze I am a bit confused about this. In my history book, I have seen picture of ancient preserved bronze weapons. Their color was dark brown, with no specular light or reflection. I wonder if that was also the original color of those bronze weapons? or was it more shiny and with reflection? because I think some of today's bronze products are more shiny and reflective? If there is a picture to demonstrate this it would be very good. Thanks in advance.

25th April 2006, 04:55 PM	#2
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,197	Bronze can take many different colors depending on the relative amounts of copper and tin, and how the bronze is treated. It is also possible to create many different patinas artificially. There is some helpful information on these sites: http://www.grayson.edu/grayson/homep...rks/bronze.htm http://www.whiteriverfoundry.com/bro...ina_basics.htm http://www.mckaylodge.com/tylerdavid...technical.html Bronze is distinguished from brass metallurgically based on the metals included in the alloy -- brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Just looking at an object, it can be very difficult to distinguish between brass and bronze. Ian.

25th April 2006, 11:40 PM	#3
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,219	All I would add to what Ian has said is that brass seems a little more yellow than bronze, again depending on the amount of copper is present.

26th April 2006, 05:53 AM	#4
PUFF Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 30 miles north of Bangkok, 20 miles south of Ayuthaya, Thailand Posts: 224	Colors of old bronze artifact are mainly due to patination which is environment dependant. Bronze compositions are varied, even within a culture. There are recipe for 2-9 (and 9+) components alloy for Siamese bronze. Some of them go closer to brass and some of them contains gold. So you can find a full spectrum of red to yellow color. And evenmore complicate, different alloy element makes different patination rate. There 's a microscopic analysis for fake patination but it 's quite difficult to determine origin/composition/age of bronze by their colors.