Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c28.s8.t6.17

v1.c28.s8.t6.17

(c) High lead bronzes (Nos. 12-21) assaying more than 10 per cent lead. These contain variable proportions of tin and zinc. No. 11 could have been included in this category also being high in Pb as well as Sn. No. 12 contains an unusually high proportion of lead (31.34 %). Zinc percentages in these icons rarely exceed two. The world-famous Śiva-Naṭarāja icons (Nos. 14-17) fall under this (c) category, assaying 75-83 % Cu, 4-8 per cent Sn, 1-2 per cent Zn and 10-14 per cent lead. Swarnakamal (1980: 140-41) reported one eleventh-twelfth century AD solid cast, well-chiselled 135 cm height Naṭarāja assaying 83.8 per cent Cu, 12.8 Sn, 2.2 Pb and 0.2 Fe. Trace impurities detected were Zn, Ni, and Ag.