Hello again!  Is there a simple way I can verify my statue's outer
metal as bronze versus brass?  You mentioned patina...Ever since Dad
gave her to me, she has been a rather shiny brass-looking, not a dark
greenish brown patina.  My local antiques dealer, who saw her a few
days before I contacted Google, , told me she was bronze.  That is why
my first question to you identified her as bronze. Do you know any
simple test I can do at home to verify her as bronze...I have solid
brass candlesticks that do not respond to a magnet.  I tried the
magnet on the statue, and there was no "Pull" from the magnet onto the
statue either.   When I turn the statue upside down(she is only 6
inches high) the core metal into which the sculptor outlined the edges
of her petticoats and her two little slippered feet appears to me to
maybe be copper in color.  The statue weighs over 2 lbs.  I got that
figure by weighing myself on a bathroom scale, and then weighing
myself again while holding her.  I am putting a $2. price on this
question and will send the $10 tip I meant for you to have on the
first question when I do the final rating, OK?

Dear ralaw-ga;

Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to provide a follow up to
your earlier question. I am excited about your sculpture and look
forward to hearing how it turns out for you.

Bronze is actually a combination of copper and tin, both of which tend
to discolor over the years. As the metal ages, bronze often develops a
dark tint on its exterior surface that can be (but should never be, in
the cases of art, coins or antiquities) easily removed using a
cleanser and a cloth. This natural discoloration is called ?patina?.
Patina, according to many, adds to the beauty of a prized object but
more importantly, it serves as a barrier which can readily indicate
any alterations, damage, and to some degree perhaps, the age of the
piece. Bronze sculptures will oxidize and change color over time.
Ideally, it is the environment that they are placed in which will
largely determine the amount and speed of this oxidization provided
they are not cleaned or damaged.

Some sculptures are stone layers in bronze while others are made of a
much softer and heavier metal called pewter with a bronze overlay.
Still other pieces are made entirely of bronze while others are
actually comprised of a hollow bronze shell. Bronze, brass and copper
are all patinable metals; so needless to say if your piece has a
patina intact is it probably one of these metals. Bronze and copper
both tend to develop more of a greenish patina but brass often tends
to develop a look closer to what one would call ?dirty? or
?tarnished?. Pewter of course tends to look more like aged lead than
anything and certainly isn?t what one would describe as a beautiful
metallic finish.

So, the question really isn?t what?s underneath - one should never dig
into a piece to see what is beneath the surface of course, or attempt
to scratch the surface to see what is beneath the patina - but rather
if the piece is bronze or copper. Some people are of the impression
that they can simply use a clean cloth with clean, clear water and
wipe down the sculpture to be safe ? NOT SO!. Bronze also deteriorate
very quickly when it is exposed to moisture and chlorides or sulfides
found in some cleansers, so DO NOT put anything on it. Gently wipe it
with a soft, dry cloth if anything to remove dust if you must, but
even then you should not rub very hard.

The fact that a magnet does not stick to your sculpture may very well
indicate that it is bronze, brass or copper. The weight of the piece
is not indicative of the metal involved because there?s no way to know
what, if anything at all, is beneath it that will affect the overall
weight. Beyond this there is really no SAFE way short of buying a very
expensive metal testing kit to know for certain what the content of
the metal really is. Besides, if you did do that you run the risk of
damaging the piece so it isn?t a good idea anyway. The best way to
know more about your piece is to take it to a reputable appraiser for
an examination. If there aren?t any qualified people nearby, take some
high-resolution digital photos (or have someone do it for you) of the
sculpture in good light, from various angles making sure you also
include close-ups of the top, bottom, all sides and of course, and
most importantly, the signature. Find yourself a reputable appraiser
and make some inquires as to how you can an appraisal based in the
photos alone. You may be surprised at the number of people who?ll be
willing to help you ? perhaps even for free.


It is probably important to note here that if your piece is an
original by Leo Laporte Blairsy it probably won?t matter a great deal
what it is made of. I recommend you focus mainly on obtaining some
verifiable proof that the piece is original first and the explanation
about the content of the metal will probably come along with it.

If possible, when you do receive official word about the authenticity
of your piece, I?d be delighted to know what your appraiser said. If
you wouldn?t mind posting something here about when you learn more
that I?d certainly be grateful to share your excitement.

I hope you find that my research exceeds your expectations. If you
have any questions about my research please post a clarification
request prior to rating the answer. Otherwise I welcome your rating
and your final comments and I look forward to working with you again
in the near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga ? Google Answers Researcher

tutuzdad has been a great help to me as I start to investigate my
statue further.  However, I have no more questions at this time.  Do I
have to pay a fee for simply keeping him informed as to my progress? 
I can't afford that. He deserves to know the outcome of the
investiagation; which may be months down the road from now. I attach a
tip that I meant to add to the first question that I paid 30.00 for.

Thank you very much for your generosity. It has been my pleasure.

If you'd like to leave an update as to your progress (and I'd be very
interested to hear how it turns out) simply click the 'ADD A COMMENT'
button and type there. It won't cost you another dime. This question
is paid in full and you may comment here anytime you wish for no
additional fee.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you again;
tutuzdad-ga

I now have the digital photos of the bronze girl (about 18 shots)
stored in my computer.  Perhaps tutuzdad would like to see them, if
someone tells me how to send them to him

There are no provisions for customers to directly contact researchers.
You'd need to post them on the internet somewhere (or have someone do
it for you) then come back here and post the links to them so I can
see them.

Regards;
tutuzdad-ga