It looks to be some kind of copper alloy, possibly bronze, with the ship either painted or enamelled; this kind of green oxidation is common both for copper and copper alloy items .

From the clothes, top-knotted hair and overall design I think this is Japanese , but don't know what date it might be. There are some characters (kanji) on the ship's sail, which may be a clue to its origin /maker, so maybe you could post a picture of them?

In my opinion your little statue is made from bronze. Based on your estimated weight it could not be brass or copper. Brass and copper have a specific weight much lower than bronze!  Brass is smooth and shiny. Bronze is more dull and porous. Brass will easily Mark using a file or nail. Bronze will not. So based on your pictures and information provided your statue is 100% bronze. 

The corrosion is referred to as 'bronze disease'. This type of disease is normally associated with some form of exposure to chloride. You will see from time to time artifacts that have been buried/other for a substantial period of time suffering from a form of this disease. If not properly treated it could easily spread and ultimately destroy the whole piece. Unusual to have such corrosion on a relatively modernist piece of about 100 years old. There are some simply remedies on line. These include soaking said in sodium carbonate for a length of time ranging from days to weeks. 

I also think your item is Japanese and has a probable date of early 20th century. So perhaps very late Meiji period (1868-1912). Likely based on the style to be from the Taisho period (1912-1926). Just my thoughts. 

The patina has a golden shiny look that some would immediately associate with brass/other. I believe it would have been gold plated and would have looked very impressive when new. Pity there appears to be no makers mark. Not totally unusual for Japanese bronze because a number of high end retailers often pre ordered said with instructions that the artist remove his mark etc 

A nice example in my opinion. Please after you have treated it, to always leave it in a very dry area. Otherwise the disease may return. 

Mark 

Below is an example of a gold plated panther made from bronze. Plated in the late 1980'S (not to the same standard or quality of the Japanese example. This one a simple one coat plate) and dates from the 1920's.

20th C. Japanese bronze.

@imperialfinegems

Gave cleaning it a try. Unsure if I just made it worse. Yikes lol. Theirs some staining were the green was and I cant get it out of the toes. Tried several times. If anyone knows anyone who wants a project lol let me know. Any tips on getting it out in between the toes or if I wrecked it are appreciated. 

What method did you use to remove the majority of the green fuzz?

Another method is the following. 

Dissolve one teaspoon of salt in a cup of white vinegar. Add enough flour to generate a thick paste. Apply paste to the infected area and leave for one hour. Rinse with clean boiling water (distilled if you have). Polish dry. 

This should remove all the fuzz without any damage to the patina etc. 

If for some reason you still have the fuzz there then I would recommend that you take a chinese chop stick (NOT Plastic, but wood) and make the finer end into a chisel type tool. Simply swab the area and then dip the finer end in methylated spirits, scrub back and forth over the infected area. This should suffice without further damage etc. 

Let us know how it all works. 

Mark 

Hi Mark,

sorry to chime in but you just mentioned a method to prevent further corrosion. When I bought this bronze garuda I thoroughly cleaned it but there was a corroded patch at the neck. After cleaning I put on a coating of Ballistol (white oil used for guns and other things to prevent corrosion). When I compare it with my old pictures the damage has become worse again after 1 1/2 years. You mention sodium carbonate, I have that at home. Have you ever tried that? Do you insert the item in the powder itself or in a solution?

Hi Birgit, 

Firstly you have to place item in a soluble solution. 

I have never tried the above suggestions but I think they will work. Fortunately the few bronzes I acquired are free from any said affliction.

Before posting I did spend some time researching different ways of treatment. The above kept coming up via different sites and suggestions from curators etc etc.

There are apparently many different ways of treatment etc. I chose the above mainly because they are simply and easy to perform. They do not require any exotic chemicals which atm maybe difficult to obtain due to both the cost and relative laws surrounding terrorism etc. 

I am not sure about the ballistoll oil. While researching the fuzz I did come across briefly the issue of sealing. I believe most museums use some sort. I will have to look again and report back to you. I do however recall briefly that there were some issues with certain types of coating used.

Mark 

Thank you Mark, I will try the sodium carbonate. Would feel terribly sorry to lose the Garuda to the bronze disease. 

Hi Birgit, 

Further to my research I can offer the following in conjunction with the above. 

Use 5 parts baking soda (sodiom bi-carbonate) to 8 parts washing soda (sodium carbonate). Mix with distilled water. Put item in solution and store for desired time as indicated. Some say to boil the solution others say no. Boiling the solution will hasten the process however it may also damage the patina/other. So I would refrain from boiling. 

Personally I wood try the wood tooth pick and scrap out the flakey areas using methylated spirits as indicated in a earlier post. 

Apparantly it is common for the disease to return. It maybe caused by not making sure the area was completely dry etc before you sealed it. 

Benzotriazole (BTA) is a well-known known corrosion inhibitor that you may want to apply. Used widely in industry. 

According to an article from the Cardiff University using a clear lacquer called Paraloid B72 is recommended. 

Before applying any lacquer/other it is highly recommended that you ensure that the item/area is moist free. Using a cloth will not be sufficient. Soak it in isopropyl alcohol for 20 minutes. This will draw out any further moisture. Another is to place it in the oven at 250 for about 15 minutes and allow it to cool naturally before applying any sealants. 

Finally, once it is all done try to keep the item ways from other bronzes and in a dry area. 

Mark 

Thank you Mark, that’s most helpful!

@imperialfinegems

I used the vinegar, salt and flour method. I will try the chopstick and see what happens as for the one part that's now a copper tone or lighter tone is that just a scar that wont ever be the same?

@Ksocha11

Good to see that one method worked. It looks much better now. 

Perhaps a tooth pick rather than the other should suffice. Unfortunately due to the bronze disease there isn't much you can do about loss of the original gilt/plate. I am not sure what process was used in japan during the time of manufacturing but I assume it was the conventional electroplating process used today. This process became known in the mid to later 19th century and slowly replaced the more laborious and in some instances the more dangerous methods used such as mercury. 

You could have the small infected area electropplated but unfortunately it will not match the rest. It will be much brighter than the remaining area. I also would not replate the whole area as it will loose its natural patina and charm etc. So atm I would leave it alone.

@shinigami, 

At least the vinegar, salt and flour (make it into a paste) method worked well. Perhaps use this method with a light brush. 

Mark