ANTIQUITY MATERIALS

A Range of Materials
Most of the objects in the Anciennes collection are made from ancient bronze. A few may be iron, silver, gold and even, occasionally, lead, stone or shell.

Ancient Bronze
An alloy of copper mixed with tin, Bronze first appeared in ancient Sumeria around 3500 BC. (Sumer was situated in what is now the Southern half of Iraq, located between current day Baghdad and the Persian Gulf.) Bronze was used for making a diverse range of items in the ancient world. Tin made the bronze alloy harder than unalloyed copper and enabled creation of stronger weapons, tools and vessels. Bronze was used in the ancient world up until and even past the Iron Age in the first millenium. Many small objects were made of bronze, including jewelry and small functional items such as rivets, coins, hinges and pins.

Lost Wax Method
Objects were cast in bronze using stone molds or the lost wax method in which a beeswax model was covered in clay and fired – melting the wax and leaving a cavity in the clay. Bronze was then poured into the mold to form an exact copy of the original wax model.

Ancient Patinas
Artifacts in the Anciennes collection have accumulated surface patina over time. Antiquity patina is created by natural corrosion which often adds interesting color and/or texture. Patina colors come in a wide range from light green or dark green to red, black, blue or gray or brown depending on the metal alloy composition and on environmental factors. Patina surfaces can be smooth, glossy, or crusty. However, a patina surface should never be powdery. A powdery patina means that the ancient metal may need to be treated for Bronze Disease.