How do I identify an antique bronze sculpture?
Depth of Colour as a Guide to Authenticity The finish or patina on the surface of an Antique Bronze sculpture is part of its history and character. The mix of alloy used in antique bronze captures an underlying and beautiful pink colour, which illustrates the large amounts of copper used.
How do you patina a bronze statue?
To create a patina finish, a patina artist first uses a torch to heat the surface of the completed bronze sculpture to a temperature above 200deg F. Using a brush and spray bottle, the patina artist then applies chemical coatings to the surface of the sculpture.
Why are bronze statues so expensive?
Creating bronze sculpture is very expensive. Foundry charges alone can be more than half the value of a finished artwork. Much of an artist’s expense goes into many of the steps before the artwork ever makes it to the foundry. Making copies can spread this cost out.
Are bronze statues heavy?
A hot-cast (metal) bronze sculpture will be quite heavy, while a cold-cast (resin) sculpture will feel fairly light weight. For example, a small hot-cast bronze sculpture (about 12″ tall) might weigh 6-10 pounds, while the same sculpture cold-cast will weigh only a couple of pounds.
How long does bronze take to patina?
30 to 50 years
Patina formation on bronze objects Shortly after a bronze object is produced, a very thin layer of a brown protective patina forms on the surface. Subsequently, depending on accessibility of moisture and other agents, this patina may slowly become evenly blue/green (this may take 30 to 50 years).
What does bronze patina look like?
Patina to bronze is like rust to iron and tarnish to silver, only more desirable and beautiful. Chemically speaking, they are oxide layers that form when the reactive metals come into contact with anions (such as oxygen and chlroride ions).
What’s the process for making a bronze sculpture?
Most modern foundries in America use the “lost-wax process”, so named because one step in the series involves melting, or burning, the wax out of a ceramic shell (more on this later). Other techniques exist, but this site describes the process I use to make my bronze sculptures.
Where did the bronze statues in India come from?
Indian Hindu artisans from the period of the Chola empire in Tamil Nadu used bronze to create intricate statues via the lost-wax casting method with ornate detailing depicting the deities of Hinduism. The art form survives to this day, with many silpis, craftsmen, working in the areas of Swamimalai and Chennai.
Who was the first person to cast a bronze statue?
The Assyrian king Sennacherib (704–681 BCE) claims to have been the first to cast monumental bronze statues (of up to 30 tonnes) using two-part moulds instead of the lost-wax method.
What kind of bronze was used in the Bronze Age?
In the Bronze Age, two forms of bronze were commonly used: “classic bronze”, about 10% tin, was used in casting; and “mild bronze”, about 6% tin, was hammered from ingots to make sheets. Bladed weapons were mostly cast from classic bronze, while helmets and armor were hammered from mild bronze.