Hello.
My colleagues and I are currently doing research on a group of
Chinese bronze mirrors and vessels dating from the Zhou Dynasty's
Spring and Autumn Period (771-476 BCE) to the Tang Dynasty (618-906)
that were acquired on the art market in NY in the 1930s by an
American collector who bequeathed them to our institution in the 40s.
We undertook the study not only with the hope of characterizing the
materials and technology used to make these objects, but also to
ascertain their true condition. A number of these objects turn out to
have been very cunningly restored before our benefactor bought them.
This spurred our interest in the history of restoration of such material.
We would be curious to know whether they were restored in China, or
in the West. In addition to analyzing the fake corrosion materials,
we are wondering whether lead isotope analysis of the solder that
appears to hold some of these pieces together (this can be see in the
radiographs) might be useful in helping us to ascertain where the
broken objects were reassembled. Before we contemplate digging into
the restoration material, we think that it is important to find out
whether there is any information about 1) the sources of lead used
for lead solder in different countries in the early 20th c., and 2)
what sources of info there might be regarding the international trade
of Sn and Pb at the time.
We would be most grateful for any suggestions or thoughts you might
have regarding this matter.
Yours,
Francesca Bewer
Francesca G. Bewer
Research Curator
Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies
Harvard University Art Museums
32 Quincy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
tel. 617 495 1643
fax. 617 495 0322
http://www.artmuseums.harvard.edu/
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