Bronze Statues Story

Bronze Statues Story

The story of Bronze Statues in Asia begins in what is generally known as the Indus Valley Civilization (2400-B.C.E.). Most of the bronzes created in Asia throughout the ages have some religious significance–the statues were either for worship in temples or taking on religious processions. With literally hundreds of thousands of temples in Asia, the demand for bronze statues was very great, leading to highly developed skills in bronze casting.

The ancient skills of bronze casting were almost all but lost, until recent years when its revival took place–not a religious revival, but a revival of bronze art–simply for the sake of art. Today, bronze art craftsmanship is practiced in remote villages of Nepal and the little town of Kumbakonam in South India. There the artisans use the technique of bronze casting known as the lost-wax process.

Lost-Wax Process

The lost-wax process allows the artisan to achieve the greatest detail in each statue or sculpture. First an exact wax model is prepared in beeswax, allowing the artisan to create very intricate details in the statue. Then the wax is covered in a thick layer of wet clay and allowed to dry very slowly. When almost completely dry the clay is baked in a brick oven. Small openings left in the clay allow the melting wax to escape—leaving behind a detailed mold in clay. The original wax statue is lost and thus the name 'lost-wax process.'

Then, red-hot molten bronze is slowly poured into the mold.* At least three days are required for cooling before the mold can be broken and the bronze statue removed. Because every mold is broken at the time of releasing the statue from the mold, each bronze statue created using the lost-wax process is one of a kind.

In the final stage of bronze casting the artisan carves away at the statue with hammer and special chisels‚ etching out the last fine details. When the bronze statue is completed it literally shines like gold and as time goes by the statue takes on a duller copper or brass look and green oxides begin to form in the cracks and crevasses. This oxidation process is natural and is caused by the bronze mixing with the elements in the air—the oxidizing itself is considered to enhance the artistic beauty of the statue and it is preferred among lovers of bronze art.

Our curators have procured a very attractive selection of bronzes from India and Nepal. These are absolutely unique pieces of bronze sculpture—the likes of which are not available anywhere in the United States or on the internet other than here at Silk Elephant Sculptures. Look for these unique bronze sculptures which will be added to this online gallery from time to time.

Thank you.
The Curators

*Base metals from which bronze is formulated are copper, brass, silver, and gold. In ancient times the formula often used was eight measures of copper or brass to twelve measures of silver and sixteen measures of gold. In modern times, however, very little silver and gold is used in Bronze casting due to its prohibitive cost.