CHINESE BRONZES—FERGUSON. 589 
where the earth has eaten into the metal, either making a hole or 
forming scales and giving the appearance of snail tracks. An ap- 
pearance of being the mark of a stroke of a hammer is unreal. 
Bronze vessels subject to the influences of water for a thousand 
years become pure green, as the rind of a melon (kua-p’i), and glossy 
like jade. If subjected to such influences for a shorter time, al- 
though they may be bluish green, yet they are not bright. Corroded 
places are similar to those mentioned in the preceding paragraph. 
It is the present custom to call ‘‘ancient” light-weighted specimens 
of either of the above classes. This is done in ignorance of the fact 
. that large vessels are necessarily thick, and that only a third of such 
vessels are corroded even during a long period of time. The weight 
of these vessels in which the bronze has only been partially corroded 
is only reduced by a third or a half. In the case of light, thin ves- 
sels, where the influences of earth or water have easily penetrated 
the entire body of the bronze, the color of bronze can not be seen 
when fractures have been made by the strokes of hoes. It is all 
blue or green, or there is an occasional streak of red, like red lead. 
However, the resonance of the metal is not lost. 
Such specimens as have not been covered with earth or water 
and have been preserved to the present time have a dark brown 
color with red scales. These scales stand out like good Chen-chow 
sand. If immersed in hot water for a good length of time, the 
patma of these scales becomes more brilliant. Such specimens are 
of the highest value. Spurious specimens can be detected, as their 
color is only superficial. 
None of the three classes mentioned above have any rank odor, 
with the exception of those recently exhumed from old soil, which 
retain a strong smell of earth for a short period. Spurious specimens, 
when rubbed briskly with the palm of the hand, have a distinct 
disagreeable smell. 
COLOR AND PATTERN. 
Specimens of a dark reddish or black lacquer color that have been 
buried in the soil or in water for a short time may become superfi- 
cially beautiful, but the beauty is not deep and they are never glossy. 
Such specimens are of secondary value. J have noticed that Han 
dynasty seals and coins which are fifteen hundred or sixteen hundred 
years old are rarely glossy even when they are quite green; neither 
do they have red scales raised upon them. Ancient specimens of 
bronze in which the patina has penetrated deeply are glossy like 
jade and have red scales, thus showing that they belong to the three 
dynasties (Hsia, Shang, Chow). To determine their age, attention 
must be paid to the gloss of specimens and then to their pattern. 
