A Bronze Sculpture Attributed to Louis‐simon Boizot and Platinum Coating Methods

During the examination of the sculpture of Medea Rejuvenating Aeson attributed to Louis‐Simon Boizot (1743–1809), X‐ray fluorescence analysis revealed, surprisingly, that the outer surface of the brass cast was patinated with platinum. Research into the history of platinum coating methods revealed that chemical techniques for the deposition of platinum from solution were in use before the advent of electroplating. Some experimental work to replicate the patination technique of electrochemical replacement plating of platinum based on recipes from the nineteenth century is described. The technical evidence suggests that a late eighteenth‐century date for the sculpture is reasonable

Art · Art history · Brass · Bronze · Coating · Composite material · Copper · Electroplating · Layer (electronics) · Metallurgy · Plating (geology) · Platinum · Sculpture · Chemistry · Conservation Techniques and Studies · Corrosion Behavior and Inhibition · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis · Geology · Materials Science

• Archaeometry and Museums

  Open Access•Maria Guerra, M F Guerra•Archaeometry•2008

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