With its ability to capture fine, intricate details, and the strength and malleability to allow outstretched limbs, it&#;s no surprise that bronze has historically been the most popular medium for sculpture over the centuries. Since its discovery during the Bronze Age (between BC and BC), bronze has been used for everything from detailed funerary objects in ancient China and large-scale equestrian monuments of emperors in Ancient Rome to small statuettes of mythological scenes during the Renaissance and delicate figurines of animals during the Art Deco period. Today, these small bronze sculptures and decorative pieces captivate art lovers and entice collectors. But how can a collector tell if one is authentic?
You can find more information on our web, so please take a look.
Bronze is a type of metal used to cast sculptures. Consisting of mostly copper (around 90%) and tin (about 10%), this metal alloy creates desirable properties for the artist, including strength and machinability (or how easily a metal can be cut or filed).
Bronze sculptures can be made using a variety of techniques, including the popular lost-wax method, sand-casting, and centrifugal casting. The basic principle for each is creating a type of mold that holds the form of the future statue and then introducing the molten bronze.
The newly created statue is then cooled, filed, and polished to a desired state of finish before it&#;s given a patina, a type of chemical coloring that yields a distinct hue.
A lesser quality type of sculpture would be created with bonded bronze, also known as cold-cast bronze. This type of &#;bronze&#; is created from polyester, epoxy, and resin. Bronze powder and paint are then applied to the surface of the cast sculpture to give it the look of a real bronze sculpture. It&#;s important to note that these are not considered real bronze sculptures.
Between the 16th and 18th centuries, bronze statuettes and figurines from Florence, Italy, were highly desired. While typically sought after for their red-gold lacquered appearance, patrons also loved the mythological characters.
From the House of Valois in the mid-s until the end of the monarchy in during the French Revolution, small bronze statuary was popular with the aristocracy. They desired petit copies of famous popular sculptures for their personal collections. The subject matter varied from classical myths to contemporary French performing arts, like opera, ballet, and theater.
In the s, delicate slender figurines of the female form and a variety of equally lean animals like greyhounds, cats, peacocks, and gazelles became extraordinarily popular. The desire was always for symmetry and simplistic lines that were grounded in geometric forms which were pleasing to the eye.
True authentic bronze sculptures will have been created during the artist&#;s lifetime (and with some exceptions their estate as well), made from the original mold or maquettes. They&#;re also usually limited in number or unique as dictated by the artist.
Ideally, the work you already own or are interested in purchasing will have a detailed provenance from a respected dealer or auction house, itemizing all the owners of the work stretching back to the artist.
There Are A Few Ways To Test If Your Sculpture Is Truly Made Of Bronze.
One of the most popular metals used to imitate bronze in sculpture is cast iron, as it&#;s more affordable. The easiest way to distinguish between the two is to take a small magnet and hold it up to the statue. If it sticks, there&#;s a high probability that the metal used is cast iron and not bronze, as bronze has very low magnetic properties and iron has very strong properties.
At the end of the 19th century, a more economical metal alloy called regulus was developed. It consisted of tin and antimony but no copper. At first glance, regulus and bronze may appear indistinguishable, but a simple scratch test can reveal your sculpture&#;s true identity. Take a metallic object like a dull knife and gently scratch a small, discrete area of the sculpture. If the area appears yellow, it&#;s likely bronze, but if it appears more white, then you might have a statue made of regulus.
If you tap bronze with another object, the bronze object should ring for a few seconds before fading away, similar to a bell. Whereas a faux-bronze sculpture will generate a dull sound with no reverberations.
The majority of the tips shared in this article offer just enough knowledge of bronze to help you differentiate mass-produced reproductions from real bronze sculptures and figurines. If you are buying or selling, it is always advisable to consult an expert appraiser. High-quality fakes and forgeries are extremely difficult to detect. That&#;s why it&#;s best to consult an expert appraiser at a reputable auction house with highly trained professionals and appraisers like Joshua Kodner.
Joshua Kodner regularly hosts both in-person and online auctions. To participate, simply attend one of our scheduled auctions in Dania Beach, Florida, or place a bid online from the comfort of your home. You can trust that every art object is genuine and authenticated by our staff.
To read about the latest trends and news in the art market, be sure to read our other blog posts.
Bronze is an alloy composed of copper and tin. Using this as a base, other elements such as zinc, lead or silver can also be added. There are several techniques to make a bronze sculpture, such as sand casting or more commonly, lost-wax casting. Bronze artworks can represent very diverse scenes, from animals to busts, and can be made by famous artists like Giacometti or Hans Arp.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website XIANGTAI.
Bronze was widely used thanks to its main qualities, which are good resistance to both erosion and corrosion. Even if it tends to oxidise, it is possible to restore the piece to its original colour by cleaning it.
The use of bronze goes back to antiquity, it is found in everyday objects, weapons, ritual and funeral works.
During the Italian Renaissance, there was considerable bronze production. Indeed, a part of this production was used to meet create copies of an antique model for an individual&#;s personal collection. The first bronze statues that could be dated are those made by Donatello whose inspiration came from mythology, reflecting the taste of an era. One of his major works being the Condottiere of Gattamelata.
During the period of Mannerism, bronze would be abandoned in favour of marble. Its return would be marked by Cellini and his taste for the antique.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, bronze was mainly used in France as an ornament to emphasize the preciousness of a piece of furniture. Some famous names dating from this area are Caffieri and Gouthière.
At the beginning of the 19th century, bronze would be adapted to the style of the First Empire with an exceptional quality both in cast iron and carving with Thomire being one of the foremost artists. After the fall of the Empire, bronze would be adapted to suit the industrial era and evolved with the changing trends. Two main styles would go on to emerge: Romanticism, embodied by Charles d&#;Angers and the Bestiary, represented by Antoine-Louis Barye.
Today, bronze is rarely used, but it remains useful for the manufacture of bells or some artistic creations.
The regulus is a metal alloy that appeared at the end of the 19th century, it has the advantage of being economical and not using copper it its make-up. It consists of tin and antimony. This metal alloy would also be used in the fabrication of ammunition. It has allowed the art of sculpture to become more accessible by making it accessible to as many people as possible. It is not uncommon to cross a sculpture made of regulus in a sales room, due to the large-scale production of objects in this material. However, it remains more fragile than bronze and as a result objects made from regulus objects typically sell at a lower price than those made out of bronze.
One of the important differences between these two materials is the weight, the bronze being heavier. However, be careful because some fabricators have injected heavier metals into the composition to create confusion. The weight of marble can also be misleading.
A bronze piece will present a natural patina that will evolve over time. The Regula has not as reflective, but it can be painted to imitate bronze.
It is possible to make a test to distinguish bronze from regulus, in fact, if you discretely scratch a part of the statue with a metallic object and a yellowish tint appears, the object is made of bronze. However, if by doing so a colour verging on white appears, it is likely made of regulus.
Bronze also stands out from regulus thanks to the detail in the piece. Indeed, bronze is easier to work than regulus there it is important to be attentive to the finesse of the work of the artist. Finally, for those who have a fine ear, it is even possible to distinguish the resonance of bronze compared to regulus.
For a bronze to be considered an original work, it must have been created during the lifetime of the artist and there must be limited number to a number of copies, that is to say, eight and four artist proofs. Posthumous or additional copies are considered reproductions.
Our experts and auctioneers are at your disposal to appraise your bronze piece.
Identifying Antique English Furniture
How to identify an Antique Chinese Porcelain Vases?
How to Authenticate and Appraise an Artwork
How to recognize real jade
The company is the world’s best Bronze Leopard Sculpture supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.