Historic Scutum experience

[Tarbicus]

The encaustic has the pigment in the wax, so I'd think it would be pretty easy to tell the difference. scithius

I wonder if that's the case in some instances.

Do the "experts" see wax and assume its encaustic?

The brush strokes could probably give it away. Different areas of colour should have different brush marks and visibly be separate layers on top of each other, just like on more modern paintings. They definitely knew how to recognise the difference between encaustic and tempera when on the same painting or garment.