Helmet design technique Querie

[caiusbeerquitius]

Intentional patinizing has been used a lot in Antiquity. Most Bronze statues have been patinized originally. An in-depth study was made for the findings from the shipwreck from Mahdia:
[url:1wcp4k2h]http://www.deguwa.org/?id=40[/url]
Matt: With niello you can actually make a super-thin "film" on metal as well. Must not necessarily be used to fill sthg.
In fact my first tries with Niello ended up like that, instead of filling the holes as it was supposed to... ^^

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

That is a veery interesting article. Why do they not link it to Crassus,Pompey or Caesar I wonder.

I'm afraid I did not see any mention of the actual technique used to achieve a black patinization, I must be missing something there?
Very interesting article though, the divers must have thought their dreams had come true. :o

[caiusbeerquitius]

Hi!
No, the patinizing is not mentioned, but there are literature-links...
All German, though....

Just so that you know how the found out that the statues were patinized (I am lucky owner of the publication):

The statues had the same patina in places where it could not have been, had it come from natural causes. e.g. under the inlayed silver-nipples was the identical patina as on the rest of the piece. So they made a metallurgical and microscopical analysis, and it turned out that the pieces were patinized intentionally. They also say sthg. about the techniques used etc. Different colour tones could be achieved.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

That is what I am looking for for sure!
If you could dig anything up for me it would be greatly appreciated!

[Doc]

Christian,

How would you patinize something like a statue. For instance, if it is bronze, would you expose it to some acidic enviornment causing the oxidation?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Some form of acid is used.

What I would like to know specifically is what will cause the Bronze to turn black.

[Nieczar]

Byron ,You can use ready stuff ...You'll find it in artist's store or in silver-smith's store

[caiusbeerquitius]

Anything that turns the surface into coppersulfide will do. In antiquity also bitumen was used (Plin.nat.35,182), "corinthian bronze" containing either gold or silver in small amounts, or, in form of an "active" patinization either niello, or (poly-) sulfide containig solutions. On the Mahdia bronzes there is a 2mm strong hard layer of copper-sulfide, which was achieved through sulphur-patinization.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Thanks guys.
What is ready stuff, Nieczar?

[Nieczar]

I mean ready patina in the bottle ...You need just find the best for the brass or the bronze

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Thanks!