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Old 10th August 2012, 09:28 PM   #9
VANDOO
(deceased)
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: OKLAHOMA, USA
Posts: 3,138
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CHINESE BRONZE ITEMS ARE DEFINITELY BUYER BEWARE.
I ALWAYS BUY BELIEVING IT TO BE A REPLICA, CONSIDERING WORKMANSHIP, MATERIAL (REAL BRONZE OR NOT), PRICE AND ASCETIC APPEAL (IF I LIKE ITS LOOKS)
THEY HAVE BEEN MAKEING EXCELLENT REPLICAS FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS AND IF YOU LOOK IN SOME OLD FORUM POSTS YOU WILL SEE PICTURES OF SHOPS FULL OF SUCH ITEMS. GOOD CHINESE REPLICAS ARE WORTH COLLECTING IF THEY ARE PRICED FAIRLY.
IT WOULD APPEAR THIS ITEM IS NOT MADE OF GOOD SOLID BRONZE OR BRASS BUT A MORE BASE AND UNSTABLE METAL WITH A PATINA, STONE AND METAL INSETED INTO IT. I HAVE NOT OBSERVED THIS IN A CHINESE BRONZE ITEM BEFORE BUT DID BUY WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SOUVINEER BRONZE GREEK DAGGER IN ATHENS YEARS AGO. IT DID THE SAME THING AS THE CHINESE SWORD YOU SHOW IT FORMED A CURVE, CRACKED AND BECAME BRITTLE AND CORRODED FROM THE INSIDE. NOTHING COULD BE DONE FOR IT AND I SUSPECT IN TIME IT WILL BREAK UP COMPLETELY.
THE QUALITY AND USE OF AUTHENTIC CHINESE FORMS IN WEAPONS HAS BEEN GOING DOWN FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW AND I SUSPECT THE USE OF THIS BASE METAL IS A MORE RECENT THING IN CHINA. THE GOAL BEING NOT TO MAKE A GOOD TRUE REPLICA BUT TO MAKE AS CHEAPLY AND FAST AS POSSIBLE TO SELL FOR A LARGER PROFIT.
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