French Bronze is a form of bronze typically consisting of 91% copper, 2% tin, 6% zinc, and 1% lead.
[1] The term French bronze was also used in connection with cheap zinc statuettes and other articles, which were finished to resemble real bronze, and some older texts call the faux-bronze finish itself "French bronze".
Its composition was typically 5 parts hematite powder to 8 parts lead oxide, formed into a paste with spirits of wine.
Variations in tint could be obtained by varying the proportions.
The preparation was applied to the article to be bronzed with a soft brush, then polished with a hard brush after it had dried.