European Art Delegation Witnesses Ancient Patina Techniques at Our Bronze Foundry
Time:2020-03-04
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European Art Delegation Witnesses Ancient Patina Techniques at Our Bronze Foundry
June 17, 2025 - Huizhou, China
The rhythmic tapping of chisels greeted a delegation from Europe‘s Artisan Alliance as they entered the 200-year-old bronze workshop. Among them, French ceramicist Marie Lacroix knelt beside master painter Zhou Weiguo, observing how malachite pigment mixed with pearlescent oyster-shell glue - a recipe unchanged since Qianlong Emperor‘s reign.
Layer by Layer: The Alchemy of Mineral Colors
Underground Palette
Zhou demonstrated extracting 17th-century hues from raw minerals: Tibetan azurite (blue), Yunnan cinnabar (red), and Siberian malachite (green). "Each gram takes three days to grind by hand," he explained while adjusting viscosity with bamboo-ash lye.
Breath-Controlled Brushwork
Visitors gasped as Zhou applied gold leaf using only his exhale to position the delicate sheets. "Our ancestors believed exhaled qi carries the artist‘s spirit into the metal," he said, guiding Belgian restorer Klaus Müller through the 0.01mm precision process.
Thermal Revelation
The climax came during kiln-firing at 280°C. Italian curator Elena Romano watched patinas transform through seven color stages: "Like watching a sunset crystallize!" Zhou revealed the secret - ox-blood glaze layers that change hue at specific temperatures.
Legacy in Liquid Form
As farewell gifts, miniature Amitabha Buddhas painted with European ultramarine (donated by the guests) were presented. Lacroix cradled hers: "This blue crossed the Silk Road twice - first as pigment, now as art." The group pledged to feature these fusion pieces in Brussels‘ 2026 World Craft Summit.
"The true patina isn‘t on the surface, but in the centuries of knowledge flowing through the artisan‘s hands."
- Zhou Weiguo, 6th-generation patina master
Jay He
Shawn He