Tin‐Rich Surface Decoration of Chinese Bronzes: A Case Study of the British Museum Collection

In this paper six bronze artefacts of the Eastern Zhou period to Han dynasty (770 BC ‐ 220 AD) with tin‐rich surface decoration in the British Museum collection were studied using a variety of analytical techniques. The decoration patterns include trellis patterns (菱形纹) on two swords of the Yue state, tiger's striped patterns (hu‐ban‐wen, 虎斑纹) on two swords from the Ba‐Shu region, a hexagonal star pattern (六角星纹) on a spearhead of the Wu state, and a cloud‐like pattern on a garment hook. The tin‐rich decorations on those objects were produced by deliberate tinning processes; at least three different tinning techniques were used, including the use of tin‐rich pastes for the trellis pattern of a Yue state sword and for the mottling decoration on the Ba‐Shu swords, amalgam tinning for the hexagonal star pattern on the spearhead of the Yue state, and hot tinning for the cloud‐like pattern of the garment hook. Different tinning techniques could have been applied to produce similar tin‐rich decoration patterns, and vice versa, a single tinning technique could have been used to produce different tin‐rich patterns on different objects.     

个旧锡业开发与生态环境变迁(1890-1949)

随着1889年蒙自的开关,尤其是1910年滇越铁路的全线通车,极大地改善了云南的对外交通运输条件,推动了个旧锡业的迅速发展。在1890年至1949年的60年间,个旧共生产大锡323042吨,个旧锡业也取代铜业成为近代云南的矿业支柱。个旧锡业在推动云南矿业发展的同时,也对个旧及周边地区生态环境产生了巨大的影响。在1890年至1949年的60年间,个旧地区仅土法炼锡就至少消耗45万吨以上木炭。个旧、蒙自、建水、开远和石屏五县地区天然林平均覆盖率从清初的90%锐减至1940年的2.98%,近三百年间减少了80%以上,个旧锡业开发显然是五县天然林平均覆盖率急剧减少的重要原因。同时,锡矿的大量粗放开采和冶炼,也污染了个旧地区的土壤、水源和空气环境,带来了环境污染问题,影响了当地民众尤其是矿工的身体健康。因此,锡业开发是导致近代个旧及周边地区生态环境变迁的重要原因。     

Magmatic fluids immiscible with silicate melts: examples from inclusions in phenocrysts and glasses, and implications for magma evolution and metal transport

The first occurrence of immiscibility in magmas appears to be most important in the magmatic–hydrothermal transition, and thus studies of magmatic immiscibility should be primarily directed towards recognition of coexisting silicate melt and essentially non-silicate liquids and fluids (aqueous, carbonic and sulphide). However, immiscible phase separation during decompression, cooling and crystallization of magmas is an inherently fugitive phenomenon. The only remaining evidence of this process and the closest approximation of natural immiscible magmatic liquids and vapours can be provided by melt and fluid inclusions trapped in silicate glasses and magmatic phenocrysts. Such inclusions are often used as a natural experimental laboratory to model the process of exsolution and the compositions of volatile-rich phases from a wide range of terrestrial magmas. In this paper several examples from recent research on melt and fluid inclusions are used to demonstrate the significance of naturally occurring immiscibility in understanding some large-scale magma chamber processes, such as degassing and partitioning of metals.     

袁枚的“诗”“学”观

袁枚针对清诗目益学问化所露出的弊端,抗声提出诗主性灵,非关学问,于是有人误认为以袁枚为代表的“性灵”诗派轻学浅薄,游学无根。事实上袁枚很重视诗歌与学问的关系,他对“诗”与“学”的关系有三个基本主张：一是诗须有学,二是反对在诗中填书塞典,三是主张化学入诗。他的诗歌没有脱离清诗质厚重学的时代特征,不是清诗的变异,而恰好是这个茂盛园圃里敢于争春怒放的花朵。     

安徽南陵出土部分青铜器研究

安徽省南陵县是长江下游地区最早而且规模最大的冶炼中心之一,其古代矿冶遗址可上溯至西周晚期。本研究对南陵出土的不同年代和类别的青铜器样品进行了金相检测及合金成分定量分析。结果表明,只有容器存在铜铅二元合金和铜锡铅三元合金,但是热锻淬火的容器却不含铅,含锡量恰好位于适合该工艺操作并具有良好性能的区间。兵器、工具、车马饰均为铜锡二元合金,说明当时的工匠对于合金成分配比与性能的关系有明确的认识。越式鼎腹部样品具有热锻淬火马氏体组织,同样的金属结构还见于汉代铜锣等乐器、峡江地区战国中晚期青铜剑、江都大桥镇南朝青铜器窖藏出土的多件青铜容器,而镇江地区出土吴国青铜戈则具有铸造淬火组织,工艺稍有差别。这些器物中发现高锡青铜淬火组织不是偶然的,高锡青铜热锻淬火技术至少可以上溯至春秋战国时期,用以改善高锡青铜的机械性能。     

A Late Bronze Age Shipwreck with a Metal Cargo from Hishuley Carmel,Israel

A 13th‐century‐BC shipwreck site, Hishuley Carmel, is described and discussed. It provides direct evidence for marine transport of copper and tin along the Israeli coast and may indicate inland and maritime trade‐routes of metals in the Mediterranean. The shipwreck represents a supply‐system providing the demand for bronze in the Levant. Trace‐elements and lead‐isotope analysis suggest that the copper came from Cyprus, similarly to bun and oxhide ingots from Uluburun. The source of the tin cannot yet be ascertained. The medium‐size ship was probably grounded and wrecked during a storm. Some of the cargo may have been salvaged in Antiquity. © 2012 The Authors     

The Intentional Use of Lead–tin Orange in Indian Islamic Glazes and Its Preliminary Characterization

We describe the historical appearance, composition and texture of a little‐known orange pigment in 17th‐century northern India. The pigment shares similarities with lead–tin yellow type II, but has between 6 and 7 wt% zinc oxide instead of silica as a minor element in its structure, in addition to the dominant lead and tin oxide. The consistency of its occurrence and composition across several important and highly decorated monuments and relatively wide chronological and geographical ranges of use indicate the controlled and intentional production of this pigment. We propose to use the name lead–tin orange for this material, indicating its similarity to lead–tin yellow but highlighting its independent character and distinct colour.     

东周楚式戈斑纹的成分与相组成

为探讨东周楚式戈斑纹的处理技术,采用金相显微镜、SEM、EDS、EBSD研究了上海博物馆藏的楚式斑纹戈的成分、显微组织和相组成,讨论了其制作工艺.结果表明:东周楚式戈富锡层厚度不均,以十余μm左右的厚度居多,最多处由4种不同物相组成,分别为η相、ε相、σ相及(α+δ)共析相.富锡层与基体之广日j没有明显的分界线.与现有其它富锡工艺研究成果进行比较,认为此件楚式戈与其它地域的富锡技术具有共同的工艺特征,应为热镀锡工艺.但在工艺参数掌控方面应呈现地域上的差异.     

Compositional study of bronze vessels from the Derveni tombs of central Macedonia of the fourth century bce using energy‐dispersive micro‐X‐ray fluorescence (EDμXRF) spectrometry

The chemical composition of 61 copper alloy vessels was studied non‐invasively by energy‐dispersive micro‐X‐ray fluorescence (EDμXRF) spectrometry. The vessels were found in five tombs (A, B, D, Z and H) at Derveni in central Macedonia, Greece, which belong to the cemetery of the ancient city of Lete. The tombs are dated to the last quarter of the fourth century bce . The opulence of the numerous grave offerings denotes the high social status of the deceased within Macedonian society. The material under study was divided into two main groups according to their appearance and use. The first group included 44 vessels with a golden appearance for use in banquets; the second group consisted of 17 dark vessels for domestic use. The aim of this research was to study the vessels' technology according to their chemical composition. Both golden and dark vessels consisted of a binary Cu‐Sn alloy and a slight amount of impurities (Fe, Ni, Zn, Pb, As, Co, Sb, Ag, Ti). It is probable that during construction the ancient metalsmiths were taking into account criteria such as the desired appearance, cost of metals, future use and physical properties such as resistance to corrosion. Banquet vessels had a consistent chemical composition in all their different parts compared with those for domestic use. The only chemical element used systemically for alloying purposes, except Sn, was Pb in order to improve the castability of the bases and handles of the vessels. The study provides additional information about the metalworking of bronzes in central Macedonia in the fourth century bce, as well as about the access Macedonian metalworkers had at the time to the raw materials for such use.     

Application of tin to ancient pottery

It has earlier been assumed that the tin cover found on certain antique vases has been attached as a thin foil. In this paper it is shown that the metal may simply have been applied by an immersion technique. Before dipping into the tin melt the pottery must be treated with an adhesion promotor. Animal glue which was known as a binder in ancient times has been found to be useful for the surface treatment.