copper alloys (brass, bronze)

[David Mead]

Hi,

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:

         axe heads
         bells
         gongs
         bowls (sometimes having a foot)
         trays
         box for betel-nut ingredients
         finger rings
         ear ornaments
         bracelets (both thin and thick)
         arm bands
         anklets (both thin and thick)
         thin rings worn above the calf
         head ornaments

My understanding is that it is difficult to tell the difference by 
simple inspection.
Color: brass with a high zinc content is yellowish, but brasses with 
a lower zinc content can be the same color as some bronzes.

Weight: brass and bronze have very nearly the same specific gravity, 
one is not appreciably heavier than the other

Patina: both brass and bronze develop a patina which can be rubbed 
off, viz. become shiny in places where they are often rubbed..
Complicating the picture is that "lesser grades of bronze can also 
have some zinc in the alloy, resulting in properties closer to brass."

In a way, it's just a problem of the English language.  Malay uses 
kuningan for "yellow brass" (brass with a high zinc content) but 
tembaga for darker brasses as well as copper and bronze.  My 
understanding is that Dutch koper / koperen also has about this same 
range of usage as Malay tembaga -- though it would be good if someone 
could confirm this for me.

So my questions are:

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?

2.  What were the centers for producing such metal objects, and how 
might they have wended their way into, say, interior Sulawesi?

3.  Along with this, how old are such objects likely to be?

4.  Can you point me to any sources where I could learn more about 
metallurgy in insular SE Asia?

Thanks much,

David Mead

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