1973
Author
Strahan, Donna K.
Author Affiliation
Smithsonian Institution. Conservation Analytical Laboratory
Title Of Article Chaper
Treatment of a silver dragon for the removal of silver cyanide and chalconatronite
Title Of Journal Book
Journal of the American Institute for Conservation
Volume
25
Issue
2
Pages
73-81
ISBN
0197-1360
ISSN
0197-1360
Language Of Text
English
Literature Type
Serial
Literature Level
Analytic
Abstract
Analysis of the corrosion products on a Japanese 19th-century silver dragon suspected to have been treated with cyanide revealed both silver cyanide and chalconatronite. It appears that both of these corrosion products can be formed on silver objects cleaned or replated using a cyanide solution. These corrosion products darken with exposure to light; therefore, they may be mistaken for silver sulfide. In order to determine how to remove the highly poisonous cyanide corrosion product, numerous tests were run. Using a carefully timed procedure the silver cyanide was removed with an aqueous solution of 20% sodium thiosulfate. The chalconatronite was removed mechanically.
Keywords
Dragon Silver Cleaning;Silver Corrosion Cyanide;Corrosion Chalconatronite;Cyanide Corrosion Product;Corrosion Cyanide Cleaning; Corrosion Removal Sodium Thiosulfate;Japan Sculpture 19th century AATA
pub_id
1973