• 보존과학연구
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• s.31
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• pp.131-140
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• 2010

This study shows the comparison of chemical compositions of main component with other bronze bells after the research on the component analysis by non-destructive XRF analysis. There are shrinkage cavities caused by the shrinkage defect and pores with pollutants on Bronze Bell of Heungguksa Temple with gamma radiation images and 77.3% of copper, 8.4% of tin and 10.9% of lead were determined as the main components of it with XRF analysis The tin content of Brozen Bell of Heungguksa Temple is less than those (11~18%) of other bronze bells but the lead content of that is higher. The lead content of it shows 10.91% which is quite high while generally the lead contents of other bells were controlled lower than 2.1%. Buddhist bells have the different lead content according to the period. The lead content was low until Silla Dynasty and Unified Silla period but it has been getting higher since some point of Koryo Dynasty. It is assumed that expensive copper and tin were replaced with lead.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.32
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• pp.155-170
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• 2011

This study intended to identify the ratio of alloy, metallographic examination and hardness on the bronze mirrors excavated in Korea and made the distribution chart of the main components according to each artifact and then tried to compare the ratio of artifacts with that of 鑑燧之齊of Zhouli Kaogongji(周禮, 考工記). Through this research, the components distribution of bronze covered a wide rage but it can be divided into 2~3 groups. When it is categorized into 3 groups, one is the bronze mirror with 70-80% of copper, 15-20% of tin and less than 5% of lead. Another is the bronze mirror with 20%-30% of tin which gives the white luster on metal and the high hardness. The other is the bronze mirror with 60-70% of copper and 15-20% of tin but it has more than 10-15% of lead which causes less luster and the low hardness. It contains less tin than 33%(50%) of tin from 鑑燧之齊 according to the old record Zhouli Kaogongji(周禮, 考工記) of Zhou Dynasty. In Korea the bronze mirror with tin of 鑑燧之齊was never found yet except the case of artifacts analyzed by non-destructive analysis.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.493-502
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• 2018

Currently, the fabrication of a high-tin bronze spoon by traditional manufacturing techniques involves 10 steps in the bronze ware workshop. Hot forging has a major influence on manufacturing and involves two to three steps. The dendritic ${\alpha}$-phase in the microstructure of the high-tin bronze spoon is refined and finely dispersed through hot forging. In addition, twinning is observed in the ${\alpha}$-phase of the hammered part, and the ${\alpha}$-phase microstructure gradually transform from a polygon to a circular shape due to hammering. In this process, the adjacent ${\alpha}$-phases overlap with each other and remain combined after quenching. The microstructure with the overlapping is also observed in bronze artifacts, and this shows the correlation with technical system. The results of the experimental hot forging of Cu-22%Sn alloys show that the decrease in in the amount of the dendritic microstructure, which forms during casting, is in proportion to the number of processing steps and that the refined grain obtained by hammering contributes to the improvement in the strength of the material. From the hammering marks, which are observed on both the bronze artifact excavated from archaeological sites and on the high-tin bronze spoon produced in the traditional workshop, it is presumed that the knowledge regarding the unrecorded manufacturing system of bronze ware in ancient times has been passed down in a traditional way up to the system used currently.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.296-305
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• 2020

Konbaung Dynasty was the last unified dynasty that ruled Myanmar from 18^th to 19^th century. During this time Buddhist art flourished in Myanmar due to the interest of the rulers toward their traditional culture. Metal decorative artifacts in the 18^th century are classified into structures and Buddha statues. They are further subdivided into gilt-bronze and bronze objects, depending on their material component. Three-dimensional gilt-bronze decorative artifacts were cast with a brass alloy of Cu-Zn-Sn-Pb and their surfaces were gilded with extremely thin gold leaves (less than 1 ㎛ in thickness). The gilded layer approximately comprised 10 wt% silver in addition to the main element, gold. The lack of Hg in the gilded layer, indicated that the amalgam gilding technique was not applied. The analysis results indicated that the lacquered gilding technique was applied to the objects. Bronze decorative artifacts without gilding were cast with materials containing Cu-Sn-Pb. The bronze pavilions and bronze Buddha staues were crafted using the same alloy of high-tin bronze, which approximately contained 20 wt% Sn. No heat treatment was applied to reduce the brittleness of the objects after they were cast with a large amount of Sn. The most significant difference between the gilt-bronze and bronze decorative artifacts lie in their elemental compositions. The gilt-bronze decorative artifacts with their gilded surface were manufactured using brass containing zinc, while the unplated bronze decorative artifacts were composed of bronze containing tin. Artifacts of the same type and size are classified differently depending on the materials utilized in the surface treatment such as gilding.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.10 no.1 s.13
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• pp.31-37
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• 2001

The metallurgical investigation of four lumps of bronze from the third building site of the northern workshop site at the Neungsan-ri temple site in Buyeo was performed. The microstructures of a section of sample was observed by SEM and qualitative and quantitative analysis of the sample was performed by EDS. The results are as follows: Sample 1 of the lump of bronze from northern workshop site in the third building site at Neungsan-ri temple site and sample 2 are speculated to be low-quality bronze resulting from refinery of matte which formed on the process of bronze refinery. Sample 3 is speculated as a lump of bronze which is one of Cu-Sn system and the one made by alloy only with pure bronze and tin on the process of bronze refinery. Sample 4 is confirmed as a lump of bronze which is one of Cu-Sn-Pb system from alloy of tin and lead into pure bronze. It is believed that the third building site at Neungsan-ri temple site in Buyeo produced bronze matte by refinery of copper ore or produced low-quality bronze by melting matte imported from outside.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.340-356
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• 2021

We have tried the experimental research of lost-wax casting to reconstruct Gilt-Bronze Pensive Bodhisattva; preliminary and reconstruction experiment based on ancient texts. Main object to reconstruct is Korean National Treasure No.83, Gilt-Bronze Pensive Bodhisattva (Maitreya), then we measure alloy ratio and casting method based on the scientific analysis. Other impurities were removed from the base metal components(copper : tin : lead) and their ratio was set to 95.5 : 6.5 : 3 where the ratios for tin and lead were increased by 2.5% each. The piece-mold casting method was used, and piece-mold casting experiments were carried out twice in this study but supplementary research on piece-mold casting was necessary. The microstructure was confirmed to be typical cast microstructure and the component analysis result was similar to that of the prior study. Analysis of the chemical composition is confirmed to copper, tin, lead, and zinc, and the chemical composition of the matrix was 87.8%Cu-7.5%Sn-2.7%Pb-2.1%Zn, and similar to previous experimental research. Also resulted in the detection of small impurity in Zn. Analysis of the mould revealed that the mould was fabricated by adding quartz and organic matter for structural stability, fire resistance, and air permeability. We expect that our research will contribute to provide base data for advanced researches in future.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.19
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• pp.69-82
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• 2018

The gilt-bronze standing Buddha and bronze standing Buddha statues excavated from Yeongguksa Temple in Yeongdong, currently held in the collection of the Cheongju National Museum, underwent conservation treatment after scientific study. Materials analysis showed that the gilt-bronze statue was made with a ternary alloy of copper, tin, and lead, while the bronze statue is of a binary alloy of copper and tin. The analysis also revealed that the bronze statue contains gold, and it is therefore recommended to change its description to gilt-bronze standing Buddha. The gilt-bronze statue appears to have been made with lead produced in Korea. The material observed on the surface that is presumed to have been used as an adhesive for the gold coloring is thought to be lacquer. For conservation treatment, the statues were minimally cleaned using physical and chemical methods and were treated through consolidation and protective coating.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.421-430
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• 2011

Thermal conditions in practice at the traditional bronze workshop of the Korean Folk Village in Yongin were examined along with the microstructures of some high tin bronze objects made there. Laboratory experiments approximating the conditions of the workshop were also carried out and the results were compared. The operating temperature of the workshop furnace was measured to range from $750^{\circ}C$ to $850^{\circ}C$ while the surface temperature of an object, upon its removal from the furnace for additional thermo-mechanical treatments, was generally in the range of $600^{\circ}C$ to $685^{\circ}C$. This variation in working temperatures was reflected in varying microstructures developed upon quenching. The products of the Folk Village were found to consist of microstructures where the ${\alpha}$ grains of the Cu-Sn system were distributed in the background of different phases including the ${\beta}$-martensite phase, retained ${\gamma}$ phase, ${\alpha}+{\delta}$ eutectoid or their mixtures. This variability, which is also identified in objects made in ancient times as well as in our laboratory experiments, suggests that the actual thermal conditions given during the quenching treatments are much more complicated than is inferred from the temperature measurements. This paper will present detailed accounts of the thermo-mechanical treatments as observed in the high tin bronze workshop of the Korean Folk Village and discuss the evolution of varying microstructures in terms of the substantial variability involved in the implementation of the traditional forged high tin bronze technology of Korea.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.224-233
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• 2018

Thirty-three Early Iron Age bronzes at the sites of Hoam-dong in Chungju and Cheongsong-ri in Buyeo were investigated in order to study the manufacturing technique and the provenance of lead. Chemical analysis using X-ray fluorescence showed that 33 bronzes consist of copper(Cu), tin(Sn) and lead(Pb) served as major elements. Major and minor elemental analyses by EPMA were performed on two mirrors and 2 weapons of the bronzes investigated. The results shows that bronze mirrors from Chungju and Buyeo were high-tin bronzes(> 30 wt%). And 20% of tin and 5% of lead were founded in bronze weapons. Iron, zinc, arsenic, silver, nickel, sulfur and cobalt detected in four bronzes as minor and trace elements. The four bronzes were alloyed considering their function and were not heat treated after casting due to their high tin content. Lead isotope analysis using TIMS indicates that thirty-three bronzes were distributed southern Korea peninsula except Zone 1. As a result, lead raw materials came from various regions in Korean Peninsula not from Gyeongsang-do regions. The manufacturing techniques of bronze ware generalized at this age, and bronze was produced in various sites using raw materials from various sources.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.403-410
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• 2012

The brine treatment applied during the fabrication of forged high tin bronze objects is considered effective at the removal of surface oxide layers developed at elevated temperatures. There is not much information, however, available for the understanding of its exact effect and purpose. This work performed laboratory experiments to characterize the effect brine treatments produce on the surface of bronze objects during fabrication. Specimens were first made in the bronze shop of the Yongin folk village under varying conditions of brine treatments, and the results obtained were then used in the following laboratory experiments where the effect of brine treatments were investigated in terms of brine concentrations, alloy compositions and thermo-mechanical treatments. The results show that oxide layers generated at high temperature are easily removed by the brine treatment. It was found that the element, chlorine, played a key role in the removal of such oxide layers as opposed to the other constituent of the brine, sodium, makes no notable contribution. In bronze alloys containing 22% tin, this brine effect is obtained regardless of the application of forging as long as the brine concentration is over 0.5% based on weight. In alloys containing lead, however, no brine effect is observed due to the molten lead that emerges from inside the hot bronze specimen and forms a thin layer on its surface.