dans les éclipses de la patine verte

English translation: between the gaps in the green patina

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:dans les éclipses de la patine verte
English translation:between the gaps in the green patina
Entered by: angela3thomas

20:23 May 26, 2017
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Archaeology / ancient art
French term or phrase: dans les éclipses de la patine verte
Hi again!
DOC: 1907 Museum catalog of ancient Egyptian mirrors. Catalog entry.
CONTEXT: 44076. Disque de miroir, muni d'une partie de la monture. - Bronze. - Conservation: La dorure de la face apparaît par intervalles ***dans les éclipses de la patine verte.*** Légères croûtes de vernis de momie du même côté. Sur le revers, patine très sombre, uniforme.
ATTEMPT: The gilding on the obverse shows intermittently through the coating of green patina. Slight crusts of a mummy varnish on the same side. On the reverse, a very dark, uniform patina.
ISSUE: I'm not sure but that's all I can think of to do with "éclipses"
Thanks in advance for correction, confirmation, or better suggestions!
angela3thomas
United States
the guilding on the disk's surface may be seen here and there between the gaps in the green patina
Explanation:
The patina is "spotty" and irregular across the surface of the bronze, with lots of places where the oxidation has not occurred --because the bronze is covered in those spots by the thin gold leaf.

My reasoning is that, since gold does not tarnish or acquire a patina, these irregularities, presumably, are due to impurities in the gold --or (much more likely) in spots where the gilding is too thin, allowing the bronze (which does oxidize and acquire a patina) to show through.

Perhaps the thin gold leaf was irregularly eroded away due to frequent polishing over an extended period of use?

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Note added at 4 days (2017-05-31 14:28:54 GMT)
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In the first line, "of the bronze" should be "of the disk"

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Note added at 4 days (2017-05-31 14:36:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The indication of "croûtes de vernis de momie" is interesting, suggesting that these mirrors may have been given a quite "intimate" place in the tomb --within the extensive mummy wrappings, along with the innumerable amulets, etc.

Didn't we see a previous example of a mirror which had some sort of incrustation which was probably from the mummy wrappings?
Selected response from:

Christopher Crockett
Local time: 01:18
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Summary of answers provided
4the guilding on the disk's surface may be seen here and there between the gaps in the green patina
Christopher Crockett


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


4 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
the guilding on the disk's surface may be seen here and there between the gaps in the green patina


Explanation:
The patina is "spotty" and irregular across the surface of the bronze, with lots of places where the oxidation has not occurred --because the bronze is covered in those spots by the thin gold leaf.

My reasoning is that, since gold does not tarnish or acquire a patina, these irregularities, presumably, are due to impurities in the gold --or (much more likely) in spots where the gilding is too thin, allowing the bronze (which does oxidize and acquire a patina) to show through.

Perhaps the thin gold leaf was irregularly eroded away due to frequent polishing over an extended period of use?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2017-05-31 14:28:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In the first line, "of the bronze" should be "of the disk"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2017-05-31 14:36:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The indication of "croûtes de vernis de momie" is interesting, suggesting that these mirrors may have been given a quite "intimate" place in the tomb --within the extensive mummy wrappings, along with the innumerable amulets, etc.

Didn't we see a previous example of a mirror which had some sort of incrustation which was probably from the mummy wrappings?

Christopher Crockett
Local time: 01:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 131
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