Hallo friends!
This is not really a primitive skill, but I think it can go under Metalworking.
I thought some of you may like the idea, I had to antiquing a brass hook I made for an Iron Age war belt reconstruction.
The original hook I modeled my brass one on was made of bronze, but I wasn't able to find a bronze wire anywhere, nor to produce it, so I had to use brass in the name of economy and quickness of production (Montelago Celtic Nights are near!).
But I didn't really like the shining looking of the brass - it isn't called "similoro", "golden", for nothing - so I decided to treat it.
Take an empty glass jar and put some ammonia in it, not too much, just a finger or little more (for males: I suspect we can also pee in it and that would work too, I'll have to try it).
Hang the brass item you want to antique inside the jar, using a wire.
Fix the wire with the jar's plug: both ends of the wire will come out of the jar and the item will then be hanging inside, in the middle.
Wait for some time until it becomes of the color you want.
I waited for 3 hours and that's the result:


On the left, the pin a friend gave me to hold my mantle. It's in brass, untreated. On the right, my war belt and the hook I made, treated with ammonia.
Both items come from the same brass wire so they share the same metals mix.

It's important that the ammonia does not touch the item, otherwise it will leave blue spots on it.
Greetings,
Mauro.

Does it works by immersion or with its fumes, like ammonia??
Greetings,
Mauro.