Page 140 - China's Renaissance in Bronze, The Robert H.CIague Collection of Later Chinese Bronzes 1100-1900
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body was cut from sheet copper and soldered into place. The foot com-
prises two pieces soldered together, the flat ring and the collar of leaf-
shaped forms; a mechanical join with pins enables the ewer to turn on the
foot. Although portions of the decoration within the ogival panels were
carved, the high-relief and openwork elements were created separately
and soldered into place; the ring-mat backgrounds were punched. The
lion-form knobs atop the covers were cast and then attached with pins.
The gilding was no doubt achieved through the application of an amalgam
of powdered gold and mercury which was then heated to evaporate the
mercury, the standard method for affixing a gold coating to metal.
140 10 C H I N A ' S R E N A I S S A N C E IN B R O N Z E
