- Shakudō
Shakudō (赤銅) is a
billon ofgold andcopper (typically 4% Gold, 96% Copper), mostly designed for its beautiful dark blue-purplepatina . It was historically used inJapan to decoratekatana fittings such astsuba andyatate . When it was introduced to the West in the mid-19th century, it was thought to be previously unknown outside Asia, but recent studies have suggested close similarities to certain decorative alloys used in ancientEgypt ,Greece , andRome .cite web|title=Secret of Achilles' Shield |url=http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg14119094.200-secret-of-achilles-shield-the-ancients-loved-black-bronzeso-much-they-made-their-most-valued-treasures-from-it-what-was-the-secretof-the-alloys-success-and-why-did-it-take-modern-metallurgists-so-longtocatch-on-.html |publisher=New Scientist 1994-01-22] . Modern jewelry artisans have revived the use of shakudō as a striking design element, especially for the technique ofmokume-gane .Shakudō is sometimes used as a general term for damascened decorative objects of Japanese origin. These are also widely known in the West as Amita damascene, from the name of a 20th-century manufacturer of such items for export.
ee also
*
Hepatizon (Black bronze)
*Katana
*Tumbaga
*Niello External links
* [http://www.npi.gov.au/database/substance-info/profiles/27.html National Pollutant Inventory - Copper and compounds fact sheet]
* [http://www.amitacorp.co.jp/co/english/co_history.html History of the Amita Damascene Company]
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