Author: Arthur Wingham

Publisher: Forgotten Books

Published: 2016-09-13

Total Pages: 60

ISBN-13: 9781333574635

Excerpt from Report on the Analysis of Various Examples of Oriental Metal-Work, &C., In the South Kensington Museum and Other Collections This report is the result of an investigation undertaken at the suggestion of Prof. Valentine Ball, c.b., with the view to ascertain whether any marked characteristic existed in the composition of Oriental brass from different localities, or from the same locality but of different ages, and it was hoped that it would be possible by the aid of an analysis to name the locality or to assign the time of production to a brass of nu certain origin, or at least to support any existing idea as to the date of a doubtful specimen. It was necessary that the analyses should be as complete as possible, as a comparatively rough estimation of the principal metals only would be of little or no use. It was considered that a few exhaustive analyses would be more likely to yield definite results than a larger number of incomplete ones. Every speci men was therefore subjected to a rigid examination, and the greatest care was bestowed, at times under considerable dis advantages, on each analysis, so that every particle of metal could be accounted for and the quantity determined wherever there was sufficient present to admit of this being effected. The chief of the disadvantages referred to was the small quantity of the material at the analyst's disposal, which rendered the esti mation of the metals present in small quantity a task of great difficulty, and one requiring Special knowledge and Skill. In commencing the work, and keeping the main purpose well in view, it was considered useless to spend time in analysing any but authentic specimens. In the selection of these, the aid of Mr. C. Purdon Clarke, was sought and obtained in respect to the specimens from the Indian Section of the South Kensington Museum; while the choice of those from the Per sian Court was entrusted to Mr. A. B. Skinner. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.