Indian Brass Vase

Hi again, looking for some help with this vase. I tried to polish it up a bit but have only made it worse.. I tried lemon juice and baking soda but that made it oxidise (lots of little green/blue bits) and then i tried polishing with Brasso which has helped a bit.

I should probably have left it alone. What would be the best way to clean it now tho?

Also, can anyone tell me anything about it?

I guess from India, middle of last century?

Thanks!

 

Depends on what you want to achieve. To buff the highlights use the brasso on a stiff cotton cloth. For slightly deeper shine use a soft cloth, to start getting into the crevices use a toothbrush - this will start to make it look a lot newer though.

If making it look brand new is your thing you can dip it in diluted hydrochloric acid (sold as muriatic acid in the US, patio cleaner in Europe) - danger of burns / blindness so take proper precautions.

 

Thanks Ce, i will try buffing it some more and maybe a toothbrush to get into the engraved bits

 

AAAHHH! No Brasso. I hate the stuff. You'll take all the patina off. Good grief. I'll say no more.

 

Any of the paste style polishes can accumulate in recesses and engravings, and the residue of polish and fine metal particles can be unsightly and lead to further corrosion. It is best to thoroughly wash a piece after polishing (if it can be done safely) to remove any polishing residue.

Another polishing option is Nevr-Dull, which is a cotton wadding with a non-abrasive (proprietary) solvent. With the wadding it is easier to control the amount of tarnish removed, allowing you to highlight some areas while leaving more "patina" in areas that look better with more definition.

In this particular case, it might work to wash the vase with a gentle dish soap and a soft toothbrush to remove the old polish from the recesses. You might need to resort to toothpicks to get it out of the fine engraving. (For cleaning out the grooves, always use a tool softer than the metal you are cleaning.) Please, avoid using any strong acids.