• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.15
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• pp.4-25
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• 2014

Chuncheon National Museum currently own a bronze Buddhist gong that was discovered in 1987 at the Sudasa Temple site of in Suhangri, Pyeongchang. Significantly, showing many casting defects and areas where was repaired, the Gong offered crucial information about the casting technique. To better understand the production technique, scientific analysis was conducted on various aspects of the gong, including its materials, moulds, chaplets, and defects. Composition analysis revealed that the gong was composed primarily of copper ^71.6wt%, tin ^18.2wt%, and lead ^7.2wt%, along with about 1wt% of both arsenic and antimony. The lead content of the chaplets was higher than that of the gong, and the lead content was the highest in the solder, which was used to fill holes after casting. Surface analysis, based on the parting line, indicated that the gong was most likely produced with the sand casting process. Radiography and close examination of the surface disclosed various casting defects ^{e.g., Cold Shut, Surface Folds, Misrun, and Blowholes Adjacent to Chaplets} and their possible causes. The casting defects of a few holes were filled with soft solder.