On the degradation factors of an archaeological bronze bowl belonging to a private collection

A bronze bowl belonging to a private collection, stylistically consistent with the Achaemenid art was investigated to determine the cause of the artwork local fragmentation. The corrosion products were characterised by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF), Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The last technique was also used to determine the chemical composition of the alloy. The metallographic analysis showed that the bowl was obtained from a monophasic bronze alloy, containing about 11% tin and other elements in traces. The presence of an inhomogeneous microstructure with both thermal twin bands and slip lines was consistent with multiple hammering steps followed by partial annealing treatments. On the bowl a very limited chloride contamination was observed and chlorides were never detected in proximity to the metal. These findings and the morphological/compositional characteristics of the patinas permitted to classify that on the internal side of the bowl as a modified Type I morphology, while the patina on the external side of the bowl was less compact, so that it was judged borderline between a “noble” patina and a disfiguring one. On this side, a significant intergranular attack was found, reputed responsible for the fragmentation occurred.