How to identify imitation bronze ware from the Qing Dynasty? How to distinguish the authenticity of

The court of the Qing Dynasty continued to cast antique bronzes, the style is similar to that of the Ming Dynasty, that is, the appearance has some characteristics of Shang and Zhou bronzes, but often the local transformation in many aspects, such as the above-mentioned Qing antique Fang Ding, the gluttonous pattern is butterfly-shaped, the mouth and neck are all fake, the shading is unchanged, and the flat foot shape and the decoration on it are also inconsistent with the ancient system, which more typically reflects the style and level of antique ware in this period.

There are four main types of counterfeit bronzes, and the following are the key points for distinguishing these four types of counterfeiting:

1) Transformation of real objects, that is, the processing and transformation of real objects into strange forms that do not conform to regulations. There are different ways to do this for those who fall into this category.

The first technique is to add parts to the main body of the real object. For example, the Palace Museum in Beijing in the collection of the late Yin Dynasty or the early Western Zhou Dynasty, the instrument is true, the inner bottom has the true inscription "Father B" two words, now this vessel mouth along the horizontal part of the first-class, the neck and the addition of the fang, flow, the color of the skin are different from the body, obviously the back. In addition, the courtyard is about the early Western Zhou Dynasty, the lid and the handle are lost, and now the double half ring ear of this vessel is added with a ring, which is intended to be transformed into the shape of a pot in the late Western Zhou Dynasty, but the shape and decoration are still different from the pot in this period.

The second technique is to piece together the fragments belonging to several real artifacts into one, most of which do not comply with the artifact system, or arbitrarily newly cast and connect parts that do not conform to the artifact on some of the authentic artifact fragments, and the shape of the vessel created by this technique is also easier to be recognized because it is not a cow or a horse.

In ancient times, the surface of the bronze ware cast by the block model method was relatively tight and smooth, while the surface of the counterfeit ware made by the sand turning or lost wax method sometimes appeared sand holes, shrinkage holes and other phenomena.

There is a difference between the rust made by the newly minted counterfeit and the real rust. Ancient bronzes have been buried in the ground for a long time, and contact with moist soil, groundwater and other organic and inorganic substances, the surface layer will undergo a chemical reaction and rust, because this rust is gradually generated, so there are complex layers, the colors of each layer are different, and there are natural sections around the edge. Its material is hard, it is not easy to fall off when peeled with a fingernail, and it will fall off in pieces or pieces after being cut with a knife or hammered.

However, fake rust is caused by artificial methods in a short period of time, so it is different from real rust in terms of form and texture.

The history of imitating pre-Qin bronzes can be traced back to the Song Dynasty, when the rise of gold and stone science, both public and private were happy to collect Shang Zhou bronzes, and the Song court had a large number of imitations of Shang and Zhou bronze ceremonial instruments in the inner palace for the use of suburban temples. Especially during the Zhenghe period, because Huizong liked antiquities and often ordered good workers to imitate the newly obtained ancient artifacts, so there were many of them (see Zhai Qinian's "History of Pomegranate"). However, after the Southern Song Dynasty, bronze artifacts were often destroyed and coinaged, and the number of imitation artifacts in the Song Dynasty has been passed down to this day.

However, the antique style of the Song Dynasty continued to the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. In the Yuan Dynasty, the edict repaired the temples of Zhulufu, Zhouyi County for spring and autumn sacrifices. When Yuan Chengzong set up a wax bureau ("Yuan History, Sacrifice Chronicles") for this purpose, in order to imitate ancient sacrificial vessels.

The scale of imitation in the Ming Dynasty was very large, and there were many people who left it in the world. During the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty, Xuanzong Zhu Zhan saw that the Ding Yi furnished in the suburbs of the temple and the inner court were not ancient, so he gave birth to the heart of retro, so in the third year of Xuande, the Ministry of Industry imitated the Song people's "Archaeological Map" and "Bogutu" The Shang and Zhou bronzes recorded in the books cast antique bronzes, and also made the imitation of the four elegant styles of the famous kilns in the inner house. At that time, more than 3,300 pieces of antique bronzes of the above two types were cast.

These antique bronzes, in addition to some of them retained by the court, were also distributed to the palaces of the kings, so they were able to be spread to various places ("Xuande Yi Ware Atlas"). At the end of the Ming Dynasty, during the Chongzhen period, King Lu Zhu Changzhu (known as "Jingyi Master") also imitated a large number of ancient bronzes.

Antique bronzes have the following characteristics:

First, there are often inscriptions indicating that they are imitations, and the palace imitates more of the year of the dynasty, such as the three years of Xuande Ministry of Industry Feng Yi imitated the Shang and Zhou bronzes, and the bottom of the bronze vessels is cast with the word "Xuande" written in seal script. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, King Lu imitated the vessel with the words "Lu State System" and the number of the utensils. The Palace Museum in Beijing also has the inscription "Qianlong Year of the Qing Dynasty" in the collection of court imitation Shang and Zhou bronzes during the Qianlong period.

In addition to indicating the year, the imitations of local officials in the past dynasties also indicate the official name and name.

Imitations are mostly different from the original in terms of shape and charm. This is because it is not a fake, not like a forgery, so there is no need to pursue realism, and it is often only similar to the form, rather than strictly following the ancient system, and even changing to reflect the style of various times. The antique ware of the Song Dynasty is more similar in shape because it is mostly based on the original Shang and Zhou vessels, but compared with the original vessels, the shape is slightly sluggish and clumsy, and the body shape is generally larger, especially the Ding, Jue, and Hu vessels.

In addition, a careful comparison between the antique ornament and the Shang and Zhou artifact ornaments can also be seen that it is not accurate enough, and the image is varied, such as the Song Dynasty imitation Shang Gui in the Forbidden City in Beijing is quite similar to the Shang Gui shape, but the neck and ring foot decoration of the image and ground pattern are more distorted and rough than the Shang Dynasty ornamentation. In the Yuan Dynasty, antique bronzes often had their own transformation, and did not stick to the ancient form.

The identification of bronzes is a very specialized job. Because almost all of the heavy weapons involved, it is not recommended for netizens who are just getting started easily.

1.Viewer type. Many bronzes are things that can only be used at the princely level.

Even if it's not a prince, it's not something that ordinary people can easily use. Therefore, it is certain that the workmanship is exquisite. And modeling is an important part of workmanship.

Be sure that the shape of the bronze will definitely be well thought out. According to the use, the utensils are either dignified, steady, atmospheric, or vivid, etc., in short, the type of utensils must be the characteristics of the corresponding era. To do this, the only way to do this is to enrich your relevant knowledge and learn more;

2.Look at the ornamentation. Most of the ornaments of bronzes are simple and generous, and the ornaments are different according to different ages. However, each era has its own element symbols, as long as you read more and record more, you will always find and understand the characteristics of each era;

3.Look at the toning. The appearance of the utensils, including the condition of rust, there is definitely a difference between real and fake bronzes. There is a difference between the heirlooms, the dry pits, and the wet pits. Only by looking at the genuine products and comparing them more can we master the relevant identification skills.

4.Look at the process. The casting process of bronze is different, and the ancient method will leave corresponding traces.

Modern fraud, on the other hand, often does not follow the ancient process. Because that's too complicated and tiring. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully see whether it is an ancient craft, for some more complex large-scale utensils.

In addition, the composition of bronzes can be accurately identified in specialized laboratories. It can make the bronze have an accurate conclusion. However, all of this requires a lot of expertise, so it is not recommended for collectors to get their hands on bronzes.

First, first look at the density.

Regarding the proportion of copper and tin in various bronzes, the "Examination of the Gongji" said: "Gold has six Qi (gold is copper, and the copper-tin alloy is called Qi in chemistry): six points of gold, and tin is one, which is called the Qi of Zhongding; Five points of gold, and tin is one, which is called the axe and catty; Four points of gold, and tin is one, which is called the Qi of the halberd; Three points of its gold, and tin is one, which is called the Qi of the big blade; Five points of gold, and tin is two, which is called the Qi of cutting and killing arrows:

The gold and tin are half, and it is said to be the Qi of the Sui. This means that the ratio of copper to tin varies from copper to tin for a variety of different purposes.

For example, Ding: bronze = m v=(6+1) (6 copper + 1 tin) such as halberd: bronze = m v=(3+1) (3 copper + 1 tin) Second, ornamentation, vessel shape, patina crystal spots.

It can be identified from several aspects, such as rust color, feel and sound, pattern and style, copper and instrument style.

1. Rust color.

Generally speaking, most of the bronze ware that has been handed down to this day is unearthed, and there are common green rust, red rust, blue rust, purple embroidery, etc. If the rust color is integrated with the body, the depth is consistent, solid and even, smooth and natural, then it is a naturally generated rust color. If the rust color floats on the utensils, green but not shiny, the skin is rusty, and it is not moist and dazzling, it is pseudo-rust.

2. Feel and sound.

Weigh it with your hands, and if it's too light or too heavy, you need to pay attention. In addition, you can also use your hands to tap the real thing, listen to its sound, if the sound is subtle and light; If the sound is muddy and makes a "buzzing" sound, you need to be vigilant.

3. Patterns and styles.

This is an important point in the identification of bronze objects. The pattern of Xia Dynasty bronzes is simple; The Shang Dynasty pattern is gorgeous and complicated, and many are full of flowers; The Western Zhou Dynasty was roughly the same as the Shang, but tended to be simple in the later period; The patterns of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period are fresh and lively; The Qin and Han dynasties were practical. As for the style, it can be identified mainly from its font.

The Shang Dynasty font is regular, and the gesture is strong and generous; In the early Zhou Dynasty, the Bo Rock body was followed; In the spring and autumn period, the body of the book has a fat body and a thin body; The Warring States period gold font is not elegant; The Qin Dynasty unified the script and used the small seal.

4. Copper and utensils.

The identification of copper is relatively simple, look at the bottom of the bronze, if the brass texture is out, it is a fake; If the soles of the feet have been disguised with copper, they can be seen by scrubbing them with hot alkaline water. In addition to remembering the style and name of the bronze ware, it is also necessary to understand what era and what style of bronze was cast. For example, francium, which is square and container, appeared at the end of the Warring States period; If it is made according to three generations of work and rust color, it is a counterfeit.

1. The difference between slurry and imitation new rust.

Aged natural rust is generally divided into three layers longitudinally from the outside to the inside, while most antique bronzes usually have only one layer of floating rust and a single color due to the short time they have experienced.

First, the adhesion is poor, if the floating rust is removed, the fresh copper body will be directly exposed.

In addition to the damage and erosion experienced in the process of use, there are also such as atmospheric corrosion, soil corrosion, etc., showing a natural and harmonious style, imitations mostly use chemicals to corrode the bronze, or the new imitation bronze is buried in the damp ground for a few years, will not show that kind of harmony and nature.

2. How to identify the authenticity of bronze ware through "rust".

To identify natural rust in age, you can prick the patina with the tip of a needle. Bronze rust is very hard and difficult to pierce, and those made of glue are not only easy to pierce, but the needle will be caught by the pseudorust after releasing the hand and cannot fall off.

The easiest and most straightforward way to do this is:

1) Look at the copper quality and weigh the weight. In terms of the weight of bronze ware, the pre-Shang ware is generally light and thin, and the late Shang ware is heavy and thick, solemn and majestic. The Western Zhou Dynasty ware is inscribed and vigorous, and the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States period are light and fine. In the Han Dynasty, the bronze ware was heavy and clumsy.

2) Look at the shell and distinguish the rust color. Rust comes in a variety of colors such as green, blue, red, and black, and has a metallic luster. At the bone, there is black rust, the upper layer is red rust, and the top layer is blue or green rust.

Where the rust color is single, the texture is loose, and it will fall off as soon as it is picked, or wiped off with alcohol, it is generally a "quick" fake.

3) Viewer type. Taking Ding as an example, there are round and square shapes in the late summer and mid-Shang period. The square tripod is generally close to the square, the ears are straight, and the feet are mostly tapered or flat.

4) Look at the ornamentation and identify the inscription. Distinguish the counterfeit from the ornamentation, fan casting method (first make a mold with clay, sculpt various mirror back patterns, inscriptions, after drying in the shade, after firing, make it a mother model, and then use the mother mold to make a clay fan, the same dry firing into the pottery fan, melt the alloy, pour the alloy into the pottery fan cavity into a vessel, and then clean up, polish and process after the fan is a finished bronze product. Generally, the decoration notch is small and large, and there are traces of high and low dislocation in symmetrical decoration; The lost-wax casting pattern is symmetrical and consistent.

From the inscription to distinguish the forgery, there is no inscription in the bronzes of the early Xia and Shang periods, and the inscriptions began to appear in the middle of the Shang period, most of the 4--5 characters are mostly hieroglyphs, and the font is stout, and the inscriptions in the late Shang period gradually increase, generally around 10 words, and the inscriptions in the Western Zhou Dynasty increased. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the inscription style was strong and slender, and the "bird and insect book" and the wrong gold inscription appeared. The inscriptions of the Warring States period are simple, the font is slender, and the words are shallow.

During the Qin and Han dynasties, the inscriptions were written in thin and shallow ways. The inscriptions of the Han Dynasty are mostly official scripts, rectangular in shape, and the strokes are thicker than those in the Warring States Period.

5) Smell the smell and listen to the sound. Whether it is a heirloom or an excavated product, there is no pungent sourness, odor, or choking smell. Rub your hands on the utensils repeatedly and quickly, and when the fingers are hot, then smell the smell on your hands.

In addition, from the sound identification, the sound of the pseudo-instrument is bright and has a transposition (the transposition is higher and the frequency is higher and longer and upward), and the sound of the real instrument is lower and shorter.

In today's antique market, which is full of fakes, bronzes are naturally the object of forgery by the majority of merchants. Some fakes can indeed be fake, and even experts may not be able to identify them immediately. To this end, we will tell you about the knowledge of bronze identification.

For most beginners, judging the authenticity of a bronze object is mainly from its appearance, specifically rust and pulp, and these two points are also the key links of merchants' counterfeiting. In general, there are two types of pseudo-rust practices for excavated objects. One is to put the bronze in acetic acid and then bury it in the ground, so that the rust color can be quickly generated; The second is to put the bronze ware into a mixture of salt halide (ammonia chloride), tin green (copper sulfate) and vinegar, corrode the new copper into the old color, and then use glue to stick rust on the surface of the copper.

Of course, if the treasure in your hand is an heirloom, merchants pay more attention to the paste on the surface of the bronze, and they are often used to blackening the counterfeit with fire, rubbing oil, and waxing to form a beautiful pulp. So, under such a meticulous forgery method, how can we effectively distinguish between genuine and fake bronze objects? To judge the authenticity of a piece of bronze, first of all, you have to look at the appearance, the rust on the genuine bronze is often deep into the surface of the bronze, because its molecular structure is stable and compact, so it is not easy to be wiped off.

Pseudo-rust is not, because it is often made on the surface of bronze, so it is also called 'floating rust', this kind of rust is relatively frivolous, easy to tax off, often boiled in alkaline water and vulnerable. At the same time, the authenticity of the pastry of the heirloom product is also easy to identify, the genuine product is calm and smooth, while the fake product floats and shines. "In addition, the smell of bronze is also a very important factor, because fakes are often decorated with chemicals, which tend to emit an unpleasant, pungent chemical smell, while the real thing does not have this strange smell.

Of course, it is still not enough to judge based on these alone, the copper, sound, workmanship, etc. of bronze ware are all important bases for distinguishing authenticity. And these things that are difficult to explain clearly at the moment can only be accumulated slowly by everyone in the future collection. As a collector, you must have a certain degree of artistic accomplishment and historical knowledge.

Only with these two points in place can some common-sense mistakes be avoided. Secondly, playing antiques should be more practical and more practical, only by entering museums and antique markets, and getting in touch with real historical relics and collections, can we accumulate some basic experience. Of course, book knowledge is also essential, but don't get into the nitty-gritty.

Finally, when you feel ready to make a move, you have to find an experienced senior to lead it first, so as not to be deceived when you first enter the industry, of course, the object of choice must also be capable, level, and most importantly, people with high moral quality.