Bronze Sculpture

Bronze is one of the ancient metals that have been in use. It’s basically an alloy of 85 % of copper and rest Tin, Zink, LED alloy. During the Bronze Age, Bronze was the hardest metal which was largely used for several purposes. In India bronze was widely used during 4th millennium BC. The word bronze is borrowed from French bronze, which was further borrowed from Italian word bronze that meant "bell metal, brass". Bronze came to use because of its durability, and slowly it replaces stone and copper. Bronze was used to make weapons, utensils, tiles, coins, etc. With time, Bronze was adopted by the sculptors for making sculptures. The unusual property of Bronze and their expansion capacity which helped sculptors to have detailed design engraved in it helped them to create great masterpieces.

The first cast bronze statue is said to be The Assyrian king Sennacherib (704–681 BC). It weighed up to 30 tonnes) using two-part molds. In Ancient Greek art, Bronze statues were regarded as the highest form of sculpture. In India, Bronze sculptures were found during the Kushana, Gupta period. In the Chola Empire, bronze sculptures were made using the lost wax method. The famous bronze statue “Dancing Girl” from Mohenjodaro, that belonged to the Harappan civilization dates back to 2500 BCE is perhaps the first Bronze statue found in India. The Chinese were also very keen on using Bronze for developing sculptures during the Shang Dynasty.

What is the lost wax casting method?

Lost wax casting is also known as precision casting. It’s a 6000-year-old technique and is in existence since Indus Valley Civilization. It is a cire-perdue method in which the molten metal is poured into a mold which has been created using a wax model. This process helps the molten metal to get the desired shape. Wax tubes are used to pour the molten bronze metal into the mold. Lost Wax casting method helps to reduce machining cost and provides a fine finish. It helps to have intricate designs to be accomplished successfully.

The lost wax method is also widely known as the Italian lost wax method. The reason behind this is that in the last quarter of 15th-century Italian sculptors embraced this lost wax method efficiently.

How Bronze sculptures are made through lost wax method?

In lost wax casting a full sized mold is developed first with none drying oil based clay known as Plasticine for small sculptures and for large sculptures they use water based clay which helps to capture the gestural quality. A plaster jacket made of gel or rubber-like material is used to stabilize the mold. Ones the mold, which is basically a hollow sculpture, is made, molten metal is poured into that hollow and then it is filled from the bottom up to avoid any splashing. Various vents are made for the discharge of harmful gases. Then the previously made hollow wax model is heated up till it melts and removes all free moisture. Immediately the hollow part is filled with molten bronze.

Bronze Sculpture with Patina Finish

The word "patina" comes from the Italian patina which means shallow layer of deposit on a surface. Patina is basically the color that is used on Bronze sculpture for a better finish. Patina is basically a coating which comprises of several chemical compounds. After applying patina on sculpture it is sealed to slow the oxidation process and prevents the bronze sculptures to get darken. After this patina finish a soft finish of wax is provided for a shiny and glossy texture. The French brown is the traditional patina finish. The whole process of Patina is also known as “distressing”. The basic colors of patina finish vary from blue-black, brown-black, blue-green and yellow-green. Patination is accelerated by applying chemicals with high heat.