. Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution; Smithsonian Institution. Archives; Discoveries in science. THE ART OF CASTING BRONZE IN JAPAN. 619 Per cent. Iron Silver Sulphur Gold Trace. predecessor, it was destroyed by au earthquake. Accordiug to official records its fragments were melted in and cast into the bronze coins (Kwan-ei-tsu-ho) then current.' This record is interesting, as it aftords another proof that the alloy used by bronze founders did not differ much in composition, if at all, from that in use at the
. Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution; Smithsonian Institution. Archives; Discoveries in science. THE ART OF CASTING BRONZE IN JAPAN. 619 Per cent. Iron Silver Sulphur Gold Trace. predecessor, it was destroyed by au earthquake. Accordiug to official records its fragments were melted in and cast into the bronze coins (Kwan-ei-tsu-ho) then current.' This record is interesting, as it aftords another proof that the alloy used by bronze founders did not differ much in composition, if at all, from that in use at the time m the mints for coins. I have analyzed these coins, with the following results: Individual coins differed con- siderably from one another in composition, the percentage of copper present varying from to , a variation not greater, however, than might be expected from the nature of the alloy and the mode in which it was cast. Hence, in order to ascertain their average composi- tion, 7,600 pieces were melted together, and the resulting metal was analyzed and found to consist of— Per cent. Copper 77. 30 Tin Lead 15. 33 Arsenic Antimony 0. 31 Zinc Nil. Total We may hence not unreasonably conclude that this represents, approximately, the composition of the alloy which was used for casting the colossal Buddha. The bell is the largest in Japan. Its dimensions are, ap- proximately, height, 14 feet; external diameter at the mouth, 9 feet; thickness at the rim, 10| inches. In section these bells differ from European form in having the rim thick- ened internally, so that their mouths are constricted. (Fig. 1.) And it is this constric- tion which causes the gentle rising and falling tones which characterize the boom of all Japannese bells. It is hardly necessary to mention that these bells are not swung, neither are they famished with tongues, but are rung by striking the outside by means of a beam of wood suspended from the bell tower and swung like a batter
Size: 1382px × 1808px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorsmithsonianinstitutio, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840
