Brass Figurines

Brass figurines have a relatively short history when compared to clay, glass or bronze figurines.

Brass figurines of ancient times were used only where a brilliant golden color was demanded. To the Greeks Brass was a gleaming white copper known as “Oreichalcos”. The Romans called figurines made of brass “Aurichalum”, the material from which they made their dazzling golden colored helmets and coins. Highly polished brass was frequently used as a mirror.

Brass which is a buttery yellow alloy of copper and zinc was often made by accident by many civilizations and to a great extent was desired for its stability and ease to be effectively worked. It was first used about 1200 BC predominately in the Near East. After 220 BC brass was used extensively in China. Mediaeval brass figurines were made from copper

Brass Figurines 'Ganesha the Musician'

and calamine (a pink zinc oxide and ferric oxide powder) because there was still no source for pure zinc.

Church dishes, chandeliers, candlesticks, figurines and other objects of artistic value, made of brass, are in abundance throughout the world. All of these most likely date back to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Before being fired, the final molding made of clay, bisque, resin, polyresin or porcelain figurines from well recognized names like Royal Doulton, Goebel, M. I. Hummel, Lladro, Precious Moments and Willow Tree, are cast in the form of a cold liquid or semi-liquid that is left to set-up in the mold. This is unlike brass figurines which are poured from a crucible as a molten liquid alloy of about 920 degrees C or approximately 1688 degrees F then left to cool in the mold before it is removed. This requires a different composition of material which is an enormously more costly substances and extremely more labor intense and to make the molds necessary to pour the brass.

Brass Military Drum Figurine

Brass figurines are relatively tarnish resistant and have a muted yellow color very similar to gold, attained by using a favored 80/20 ornamentation metal mixture. Due to this desirability and the advantage of little or no maintenance brass figurines have become used extensively for interior décor.

Several well known artist of striking brass figurines come from all over the world. India has given us Shaw, Rajendra, Goel and Aggarwal, Thailand’s beautiful works come from Pah and Poonsak among others. Aun from Brazil and Wirawan of Bali have given us their interpretation of delightfully outstanding brass figurines.

Bronze Crane Statues

Figurines made of brass vary in size from under an inch to life size and larger. Some of the familiar forms of the brass figurines range from genuine life forms of man and women to all of natures animals and birds to lost wax castings of Buddha and angels.Surprisingly, brass figurines are incredibly affordable when compared to figurines made by Armani, Lladro, Hummel and some of the other high end porcelain figurines which are comparatively fragile.

When shopping for your interior décor accents, never forget all the little maintenance and dazzling beauty of brass figurines.