This paper presents an overview of techniques employed in antiquity-in different regions and at different times-for decorating metals by plating or applying surface treatments. Quite often the intention was to disguise metals and alloys... more
This paper presents an overview of techniques employed in antiquity-in different regions and at different times-for decorating metals by plating or applying surface treatments. Quite often the intention was to disguise metals and alloys to give the impression of better-quality materials. In other cases, the treatments produced special decorative effects and unusual colors. This paper deals with plating with gold and silver, various methods of gilding and silvering, depletion of gold and silver, and different kinds of artificial patination on various copper-based alloys. The best-known artificially patinated alloys are certainly shakudo-type alloys-that is, black-patinated copper-based alloys containing small amounts of gold and often silver and other metals. These alloys are inlaid with precious metals of contrasting colors and have been discovered in various archaeological contexts and historical times. Several other patinated alloys of various colors, including red, yellow, brown, orange, and olive, often rather similar to Japanese irogane (the word means "colored metal "), have been identified in recent times. The ancient methods of patination of iron will be briefly discussed. Ancient texts related to surface treatments will be commented upon.
Küratör: Nihat Tekdemir İnsanın, eşyayı altına dönüştürme arayışı antik çağlara kadar gitmektedir. Bu arayış asıl gayesine hiçbir zaman ulaşamasa ve Altın Dokunuşlu Midas efsanesinde kalsa da en azından eşyalara altın görünümü... more
Küratör: Nihat Tekdemir
İnsanın, eşyayı altına dönüştürme arayışı antik çağlara kadar
gitmektedir. Bu arayış asıl gayesine hiçbir zaman ulaşamasa
ve Altın Dokunuşlu Midas efsanesinde kalsa da en azından
eşyalara altın görünümü kazandırmanın yöntemleri bulunmuştur.
Başlangıçta kabaca altın plakalarla kaplanan eşyalar,
zamanla cıva, altın ve ateşin kullanıldığı kimyasal yöntemin
bulunmasıyla mükemmel altın yüzeylere kavuşturulmuştur.
Bu yöntemle kaplanan eşyaların en güzel ve nadide örnekleri
Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nda özellikle 16.-19. yüzyıllar
arasında üretilmiş tombaklardır.
Bu sihirli kimyayı tombak adıyla Türk maden sanatına
kazandıran Osmanlı zanaatkârları, bakır ile altının mükemmel
uyumunu fark ederek, hem korozyon sorununu ortadan
kaldırmış hem de sivil ve askeri alanlarda kullanılabilen göz
kamaştırıcı parlaklıkta zarif eşyalar üretmişlerdir. Tombak
eşyaları değerli kılan sadece rengi ve parlaklığı değil,
cıvanın sağlığı bozan etkilerini göze alarak bakırı altına
dönüştüren ustaların fedakârlığı olmuştur.
Günümüze ulaşan göz alıcı güzellikteki bu kıymetli
tombaklardan her biri, üzerinde ustasının hatırasını taşımaktadır.
Tombak: Altından Süzülen Zarafet sergisi, tombak
ustalarının hünerli elleriyle asırlar önce yaktıkları ateşe
atılan ve bu hatıraları canlandıran bir çıradır.
Nihat Tekdemir
Küratör
Man’s quest to turn objects into gold goes all the way back
to antiquity. Even if the true aim of this search can never
be achieved and it lingers like the myth of King Midas and
his Golden Touch, at least the ways and means of how to give
objects a golden appearance was discovered.
In the beginning, metal objects were simply and coarsely
plated with gold but after the discovery of a chemical
method including the use of mercury, gold and fire, perfect
surfaces appearing like gold were finally obtained. Tombac
wares produced in the Ottoman Empire between the 16th
and 19th centuries are the most exquisite and rare examples
of this method.
Ottoman craftsmen who implemented this magical
chemistry technique called tombac, recognized the flawless
harmony of copper and gold that resolved the problem
of corrosion and they produced dazzling and elegant pieces,
suitable for civilian and military purposes. Tombac wares
were valuable not only for their color and splendor but also
for the dedication and self-sacrifice of tombac artisans who
risked the detrimental effects of mercury to their health.
Each and every one of these precious tombac wares of
spectacular beauty harbors the memory of its master. Tombac:
Golden Grace exhibition is a piece of kindling thrown into
the fire, which was ignited by the ingenious hands of tombac
craftsmen ages ago, in order to revive those memories.
Nihat Tekdemir
Curator
Abstract This paper presents an overview of techniques employed in antiquity—in different regions and at different times—for decorating metals by plating or applying surface treatments. Quite often the intention was to disguise metals and... more
Abstract This paper presents an overview of techniques employed in antiquity—in different regions and at different times—for decorating metals by plating or applying surface treatments. Quite often the intention was to disguise metals and alloys to give the impression of better-quality materials. In other cases, the treatments produced special decorative effects and unusual colors. This paper deals with plating with gold and silver, various methods of gilding and silvering, depletion of gold and silver, and different kinds of artificial patination on various copper-based alloys. The best-known artificially patinated alloys are certainly shakudo-type alloys—that is, black-patinated copper-based alloys containing small amounts of gold and often silver and other metals. These alloys are inlaid with precious metals of contrasting colors and have been discovered in various archaeological contexts and historical times. Several other patinated alloys of various colors, including red, yellow, brown, orange, and olive, often rather similar to Japanese irogane (the word means “colored metal”), have been identified in recent times. The ancient methods of patination of iron will be briefly discussed. Ancient texts related to surface treatments will be commented upon.
