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 areas of red and bright green. The surface is well preserved in most areas.
The object is a solid, indirect lost-wax cast. It is possible that the upper and lower halves were cast as separate wax models and then joined in the wax prior to casting the handle in metal: the lower acanthus leaf section curves to mate with the curve of the basin, while the handle above it is completely planer. The beaded edges of the handle appear to have been created entirely by the mold used to cast the wax model. The finer and slightly sharper shapes of the rope border adjacent to the beading were cold worked by punching an elongated point into the metal at close intervals. The leaf and lion mask were cast and then finished with a minimal amount of cold working. The back of the leaf section, which joined to the vessel, bears a thin residue of a white metal, probably lead.
Henry Lie (submitted 2011)
