| Abstract: |
The term high tin, in the case of the objects we discuss and illustrate, is conventionally used for a binary copper alloy containing between about 20 and 28 wt.% tin. High-tin bronzes are rather few in number but found over an extensive region across West, South, Southeast and East Asia. The metal is brittle when cast, impossible to shape when cold, and can only be worked when hot. When freshly cast it has a yellowish color resembling gold, which is one reason that has been suggested for why this difficult alloy was used for special, perhaps ritual and ornamental, purposes. In this paper, we discuss excavations at Ban Don Ta Phet in Thailand, focusing on the high-tin bronze vessels found during these excavations. We also mention bronze vessels found elsewhere in Thailand and in Southeast and South Asia.
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