Scientific Investigation of Copies, Fakes and Forgeries

by Craddock,Paul; Craddock,Paul

• ISBN13: 9780750642057
• ISBN10: 075064205X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-02-23
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

The faking and forgery of works of art and antiquities is probably now more extensive than ever before. The frauds are aided by new technologies, from ink jet printers to epoxy resins, and driven by the astronomic prices realised on the global market. This book aims to provide a comprehensive survey of the subject over a wide range of materials, emphasising how the fakes and forgeries are produced and how they may be detected by technical and scientific examination. The subject is exemplified by numerous case studies, some turning out not to be as conclusive as is sometimes believed. The book is aimed at those likely to have a serious interest in these investigations, be they curator, collector, conservator or scientist. Paul Craddock has recently retired from the Department of Conservation, Documentation and Science at the British Museum, where he was a materials scientist. *The only scientific treatise on the subject *Timely with the rise in value of antiquities and the lucrative business of faking *Written by a specialist from the Department of Scientific Research at the British Museum

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. vii
Acknowledgements	p. ix
Key to acronyms	p. xi
Introduction: Sources, motives, &abar;pproaches and disclosures	p. 1
Physical examination I: Observation	p. 22
Physical examination II: Determining composition	p. 40
Making a three-dimensional copy	p. 61
Physical dating techniques I: Radiocarbon dating	p. 87
Physical dating techniques II: Thermoluminescence and dendrochronology	p. 110
Metals I: Composition	p. 137
Metals II: Metalwork and coins	p. 157
Ceramics	p. 186
Glass and enamels	p. 210
Stone and sculpture	p. 242
Painting	p. 271
Paper, prints and documents	p. 313
The patination of copper and its alloys	p. 349
Gold and silver	p. 369
Gemstones and jade	p. 394
Organic materials: Mainly natural	p. 422
Organic materials: Mainly synthetic and cloth	p. 447
Scientific fraud and Charles Dawson	p. 471
Conservation and concealment: The problems of restoration	p. 497
Bibliography	p. 525
Index	p. 595
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