Scientific Investigation of Copies, Fakes and Forgeries

Front Cover
Paul Craddock
Routledge, Feb 4, 2009 - Antiques & Collectibles - 640 pages

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.

 

Contents

Sources motives approaches and disclosures
1
Observation
22
Determining composition
40
4 Making a threedimensional copy
61
Radiocarbon dating
87
Thermoluminescence and dendrochronology
110
Composition
137
Metalwork and coins
157
13 Paper prints and documents
313
14 The patination of copper and its alloys
349
15 Gold and silver
369
16 Gemstones and jade
394
Mainly natural
422
Mainly synthetic and cloth
447
19 Scientific fraud and Charles Dawson
471
The problems of restoration
497

9 Ceramics
186
10 Glass and enamels
210
11 Stone and sculpture
242
12 Painting
271
Bibliography
525
Index
595
Copyright

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