Chemical Composition: ICP-MS/AAA data from sample, Mixed Copper Alloy:
Cu, 87.9; Sn, 3.5; Pb, 0.61; Zn, 7.05; Fe, 0.83; Ni, 0.07; Ag, 0.04; Sb, less than 0.05; As, less than 0.10; Bi, less than 0.025; Co, less than 0.01; Au, less than 0.01; Cd, 0.003
J. Riederer
Technical Observations: The patina is green with areas of black and red. Although there are spots of red (probably cuprite) and a layer of red under areas of green, the red is very superficial and offers little proof of age. It does not penetrate below what appears to be the original surface, and where the red is abraded, the bright metal underneath is in good condition.
The repair at the top of the head is contemporary with the casting. Resinous fills at the right eye and at the right temple are more recent and were probably added to improve the appearance of casting flaws at those locations. The pitted appearance at many locations reveals the porous nature of the cast. It is not the result of a cleaning or stripping treatment.
An early spectrographic analysis (c. 1951) of a sample taken from the lower left edge of the bronze resulted in the identification of the metal as brass, with Cu as the main component, along with 10% - 1% Zn and (less) Sn; 1.0% - 0.1% Si, Fe, Ni, Ca; 0.1% - 0.01% Ti, Pb, Ag, Sb, Bi; 0.01% - 0.001% Al, Mg, Mn, Ca, Ba, Cd, Ga. Also see the more recent sample analysis, which indicated that the object is a mixed copper alloy. In 1983, Arthur Beale concluded from the lack of much intergranular corrosion that the bust is modern.
The porous casting has many flaws, and it is likely that the object was made in modern times to resemble an antiquity. The bottom edge, which gives the appearance of a fracture resulting in the loss of the lower parts of the body, is in fact a finished cast edge. Its shape may be relatively accidental, the result of an incomplete pouring of metal into a mold, which could have included more of the body. Holes and significant porosity exist at many locations, with no evidence of repair. The missing sections of the hair curls are also casting flaws rather than losses. The crack flaw at the right side of the neck progresses up and around the top right side of the head so that, after casting, a circular section (6 cm in diameter) was not adhered to the rest of the head. Seven 4-mm holes were drilled through the surrounding area and molten bronze was poured along the crack at the inside of the head to mechanically secure the loose section.
The details in the hair were probably enhanced in the wax model. The long curls of hair were formed directly in wax and added to the wax model. There is no evidence of cold working.
Henry Lie (submitted 2002)
