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Hi,<br><br>
When doing dictionary work on the island of Sulawesi, I've been befuddled
whether to describe certain metal objects as made of "brass"
(copper+zinc alloy) or of "bronze".(copper+tin alloy).
These metal objects include:<br><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>axe
heads<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>bells
<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>gongs<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>bowls
(sometimes having a foot)<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>trays<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>box for
betel-nut ingredients <br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>finger
rings<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>ear
ornaments<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>bracelets
(both thin and thick)<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>arm
bands<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>anklets
(both thin and thick)<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>thin rings
worn above the calf<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>head
ornaments<br><br>
My understanding is that it is difficult to tell the difference by simple
inspection.
<dl>
<dd><i>Color</i>: brass with a high zinc content is yellowish, but
brasses with a lower zinc content can be the same color as some
bronzes. <br><br>
<dd><i>Weight</i>: brass and bronze have very nearly the same specific
gravity, one is not appreciably heavier than the other<br><br>
<dd><i>Patina</i>: both brass and bronze develop a patina which can be
rubbed off, viz. become shiny in places where they are often
rubbed..
</dl>Complicating the picture is that "lesser grades of bronze can
also have some zinc in the alloy, resulting in properties closer to
brass."<br><br>
In a way, it's just a problem of the English language. Malay uses
<i>kuningan </i>for "yellow brass" (brass with a high zinc
content) but <i>tembaga </i>for darker brasses as well as copper and
bronze. My understanding is that Dutch <i>koper </i>/ <i>koperen
</i>also has about this same range of usage as Malay <i>tembaga </i>--
though it would be good if someone could confirm this for me.<br><br>
So my questions are:<br><br>
1. Given that we're talking about rural Indonesia, is there a
"default" expectation, e.g. would you expect a tray to be
brass, or a gong to be bronze? How could I find out if my
assumptions were indeed correct?<br><br>
2. What were the centers for producing such metal objects, and how
might they have wended their way into, say, interior Sulawesi?<br><br>
3. Along with this, how old are such objects likely to be?
<br><br>
4. Can you point me to any sources where I could learn more about
metallurgy in insular SE Asia?<br><br>
Thanks much,<br><br>
David Mead<br><br>
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