METAL INDUSTRY. 441 



these qualities.^ Nevertheless, the closeness, hardness, toughness 

 and other internal properties of the Japanese bronze are not the 

 ones by which they are especially distinguished and excel those 

 of the Chinese, but rather their colour and ornamentation. The 

 colours range through all the shades of brown and grey from light 

 yellow to the finest and most effective dead black, and are dis- 

 tinguished by great uniformity, such as is possible only when this 

 proceeds from a natural chemical re-action, which is dependent on 

 the composition and not on painting. 



When one considers the small technical aids which the Japanese 

 can rely upon in his bronze work, his remarkable accomplishments 

 in patina- work are the more surprising.^ The dead-black bronze 

 articles which have come in ever increasing numbers within the 

 last few years to Europe, have especially attracted the attention of 

 interested circles, because of their novelty and striking beauty, and 

 have led also to thorough analyses and experiments. This has 

 been done principally in Paris, the city which for three centuries 

 has rejoiced in the well-founded reputation of being able to execute 

 in bronze industry the best that Europe could offer. The re- 

 searches of H. Morin,^ Christofle and Bouilhet,^ and E. J. Maumene ^ 

 were particularly notable. 



In Germany, the unsatisfactory state of many public bronze 

 monuments led to thorough investigations of the formation of 

 patina, among which those of R. Weber ^ are especiall}^ noteworthy. 

 The collective result of all these studies may be summed up as 

 follows : — 



By the terms patina, antique patina or " noble rust " {^Airiigo 

 nobilis), formerly only the malachite green or blue-green efflores- 

 cence of carbonate of copper was understood, as it is often found 

 on old bronze and copper works. This patina is always smooth, 

 but does not cover the article evenly, as the metal always gleams 

 through it. It is also found in modern bronze monuments, for 

 instance in the statue of the Great Elector at Berlin, in the 

 equestrian statue of Elector Johann Wilhelm in the market place 

 at Diisseldorf, and in the monuments of Louis XIV. and Louis 

 XV. in Paris. 



1 This proves at least their greater density, while another molecular arrange- 

 ment must account for the greater hardness, though I do not know that this 

 can be effected by simple hammering. 



2 G. Bousquet remarked upon this in his very interesting article, " L'Art 

 Japonais," Revue des Deux Mo?tdes^ ^877, tome xxi. p. 323, as follows : "On 

 ne saurait s'imaginer dans quelles miserables echoppes et par quels moyens 

 primitifs ils obtiennent ces resultats." 



3 " Sur quelques bronzes de la Chine et du Japon k patine fonce." Compt. 

 Rendus, t. 72,, 1874, p. 811. 



^ " Notes sur des reactifs permettant d'obtenir des patines de divers couleurs 

 ^ la surface des bronzes." Compt. Rend.., t. 72, 1874, p. 1019. 



5 " Notes sur les Bronzes du Japon." Compt. Rend.., 1875, t. 80, p. 1009. 



^ " Ueber Patinabildung," von Prof. R. Weber, Difigl. Folyt. Joiirn.., Bd. 245, 

 1882, p. 86. 



