Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c28.s8.t5.29

v1.c28.s8.t5.29

Nieuwenhuysen *et al.* (1984) have reported similar trend on the basis of their analysis of twenty-three Himalayan statues of the eighteenth-nineteenth century period kept in the Antwerp Museum. Nine of the 13 gilded statues examined contain less than 0.2 per cent lead; three gilded statues, containing more than 1 per cent lead, have lost most of their gold. Of the six ungilded statues examined, 4 contain more than 0.2 per cent lead and 5 contain more than 20 per cent zinc. Lo Bue (1981a: 39) aptly observes that the modern tradition in the Himalaya, resembling the ancient tradition of India and Nepal, seems to be that figures for gilding are cast in almost pure copper.