Seated Buddha

The style of this Buddha fits its apparent date range; during examination in the conservation laboratory, however, the authenticity of the object came into question. Detailed analyses confirmed that it was modern. In some cases a single test is enough to determine the authenticity of an object. Experts can be more confident, however, if several tests are done to confirm the results. For instance, if the clay core of a cast metal object survives, it can be used for a thermoluminescence (TL) test. In addition, wear patterns, the kind and extent of corrosion, and compositional analysis of the metal can help us to determine whether a metal object is genuinely old.

Multiple tests were performed on the image. The date of the Northern Thai Buddha was determined through microscopic examination of the corroded surface, alloy composition analysis using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), and TL testing of the clay core.