Bronze Figurines

Mermaid of the Isle of Capri - click it

Bronze figurines are three dimensional works of art that are meant to be viewed from all angles called “in the round”.

Bronze is one of the most widely accepted metals used for cast metal figurines due to its strength and intense vividness, and is often modestly called just “a bronze”

Bronze figurines and sculptures are one of the world’s oldest metal discoveries. Earliest known records indicate this process to be over four thousand years old. The discovery dating about 3500 BC when someone realized that the copper could be melted together with tin. This harder more workable material that would keep a sharper edge they called

Angel with Wings Antique Bronze Sculpture

Angel with Wings Bronze

bronze.

The first to scale up figures from figurines to life size were the Greeks though only a few samples still exist in decent condition, though many more Roman bronzes have survived the turmoil of time. Large ancient Chinese ceremonial vessels with complex decorations from the Shang dynasty of around 1200 BC have survived in tombs. Egyptian bronze figurines were made in vast numbers and museum collections have preserved several thousand of these works.

It was later discovered that figurines and the like that use bronze alloys have the extraordinary and advantageous property of expanding a little just before it starts to cool, filling every minute detail of the mold. These characteristics allow bronze extended figurines and small cross section figurines that have dreadfully little foundation to still be incredibly self-supporting and strong.

Strength of Man Statue

Modern bronze statues and figurines are a composition of 90 % copper and 10 % tin. Older bronze alloys varied very little from this formula, though it was extremely detrimental to the safeguarding of figurines and larger sculptures. They were melted down in time of war to make weapons consequently only a very small number of the earliest larger bronzes have survived the ages.

The high cost of bronze sculptures and figurines today is primarily due to the highly labor intense process. When the artist has completed the figurine model and it goes to the foundry, it will take up to four months to produce a single piece.

Young Girl Sits on Bench with Dog

One example of captivating bronze figurines known to this writer is the works of Frederic Remington (1861 – 1909) who spent most of his life in eastern United States, but took many trips to the “West” and Mexico. He became famous for his 22 action bronze figurine portrayals of heroic cowboys, the U. S. Cavalry soldiers, Native Americans and prospectors of the old west. All of these were cast in editions. Most likely the more famous of his bronze figurines, and still popular today is “The Bronco Buster”, one of which he gave to Theodore Roosevelt.

This ancient process produces bronze figurines that last through the centuries. Find a treasure that will be passed down for generations to come, find a picturesque and collectible bronze figurine.