ly ▁false . ▁Cor inth ian ▁bronze ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁first ▁produced ▁by ▁accident ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ▁burning ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁( 1 4 6 ▁BC ) ▁when ▁streams ▁of ▁mot en ▁co pper , ▁gold ▁and ▁silver ▁m ing led . ▁Similar ▁tales ▁are ▁told ▁by ▁Pl ut arch ▁and ▁Pl iny ▁about ▁the ▁artists ' ▁control ▁of ▁colour : ▁Sil an ion ▁made ▁a ▁pale - fac ed ▁J oc asta ▁by ▁mixing ▁silver ▁with ▁his ▁bronze , ▁Arist on idas ▁made ▁Ath am as ▁bl ush ▁with ▁an ▁al loy ▁of ▁iron . ▁There ▁is ▁good ▁evidence ▁that ▁Greek ▁and ▁Roman ▁bron zes ▁were ▁not ▁artificial ly ▁pat in ated , ▁though ▁many ▁were ▁gilt ▁or ▁silver ed . ▁Pl ut arch ▁adm ires ▁the ▁blue ▁colour ▁of ▁some ▁very ▁ancient ▁stat ues ▁at ▁Del phi , ▁and ▁w onders ▁how ▁it ▁was ▁produced ; ▁Pl iny ▁mentions ▁a ▁bit umen ▁was h , ▁but ▁this ▁was ▁doubt less ▁a ▁protect ive ▁lac quer ; ▁and ▁a ▁ 4 th - century ▁ins cription ▁from ▁Ch ios ▁records ▁the ▁reg ulations ▁made ▁there ▁for ▁keeping ▁a ▁public ▁statue ▁clean ▁and ▁bright . ▁ ▁European ▁br ass ▁and ▁bronze ▁▁ ▁This ▁section ▁is ▁not ▁concerned ▁with ▁sculpt ure ▁in ▁bronze , ▁but ▁rather ▁with ▁the ▁many ▁art istic ▁applications ▁of ▁the ▁metal ▁in ▁connection ▁with ▁architecture , ▁or ▁with ▁objects ▁for ▁ecc les iast ical ▁and ▁domestic ▁use . ▁Why ▁bronze ▁was ▁preferred ▁in ▁Italy , ▁iron ▁in ▁Spain