| Making articles and figures from the
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| | in the nineteenth century. A number of
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| bronze is one of the most difficult
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| | good bronzes were made in England in the
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| things. There are many process involved
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| | eighteenth century, but little is known
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| to make articles and figures from the
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| | yet about them.
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| bronze. Among the nations famous for
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| | Chinese and Japanese bronzes of great age
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| their bronze making skills are Italy,
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| | and great size have been made for many
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| France and Germany. And a number of good
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| | hundreds of years. In addition to figures
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| bronzes were made in England in the
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| | there are some fifteenth-century bells at
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| eighteenth century, but little is known
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| | Pekin weighing about fifty-five tons each
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| yet about them.
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| | and standing fourteen feet high. Chinese
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| Bronze
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| | bronze altar-vessels of the Shang-Yin
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| Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. Its
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| | (1766-1122 B.C.) and Chou dynasties
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| use in prehistoric days is outside the
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| | (1122-249 B.C.) are particularly fine and
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| scope of this book and the most important
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| | rare. Most have been buried for many
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| examples that will concern readers are
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| | centuries, and contact with earth has
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| those made in Italy and elsewhere from
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| | resulted in corrosion of the surface.
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| the sixteenth century and onwards.
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| | Inevitably, these bronzes have been
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| The making of bronze articles and figures
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| | copied at later dates, but the true
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| calls for great skill. Most were made by
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| | patina (ageing of the surface) presents a
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| the 'cire-perdue' (lost wax) process,
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| | very difficult problem to the faker and
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| which can be described briefly as
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| | it is one that is seldom solved with
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| follows: the piece is modeled thinly in
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| | success.
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| wax on a core of dry clay; the finished
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| | Mention must be made of the very many
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| wax is then covered in a coat of clay.
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| | fine bronze figures made in India and
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| Holes are left so that molten metal can
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| | Siam (Thailand) in the sixteenth century
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| be poured in to take the place of the
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| | A.D. and earlier. Some of the latter are
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| wax, which is melted and runs out.
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| | gilt, and most are remarkably beautiful.
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| The outer clay coating is broken off, the
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| | The finer examples remain in the East or
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| inner core chipped away, and the article
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| | are in Western museums, but a few appear
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| finished by hand to remove any roughness
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| | on the market from time to time.
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| or imperfections. Thus, it can be seen
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| | Reasonably good examples can sometimes be
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| that each single bronze has to be modeled
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| | bought quite cheaply.
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| individually and with care, and that each
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| | In West Africa, the skilful bronze and
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| version of the same original is slightly
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| | brass workers of the kingdom of Benin
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| different from the others. All old
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| | perhaps learned their craft from the
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| bronzes were made by this method, which
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| | Portuguese, with whom they had traded
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| is still in use. The making of bronzes by
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| | from the late fifteenth century. Their
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| means of a number of removable and
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| | work is highly individual and much is
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| re-usable small moulds, each of which
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| | very beautiful, but it is scarce and good
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| leaves ridges on the article where it is
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| | specimens are obtainable only rarely.
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| joined, came into use in the nineteenth
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| | Examples were brought to Europe by a
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| century. Traces of these ridges usually
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| | British punitive expedition, which
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| remain visible and their presence is
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| | captured Benin city in 1897, and there
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| taken generally as a certain sign of
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| | are fine collections from this source at
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| modern manufacture.
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| | the British Museum, the Pitt-Rivers
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| Among Italian modelers may be mentioned:
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| | Museum, Farnham, Dorset, the Museum of
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| Donatello, Andrea Briosco (called
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| | Primitive Art, New York, and in the
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| Riccio), Jacopo Tatti (called Sansovino)
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| | possession of the Government of Nigeria.
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| and the Flemish-born Giovanni di Bologna.
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| | Not only the Europeans but the Asian
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| German makers include the Vischer family,
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| | nations like Japan, China, India and
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| and the French sculptors Falconet and
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| | Thailand also made good quality of bronze
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| Clodion often had their work cast in
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| | figures and articles. Some of them can
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| bronze. The Frenchman Guillaume Coustou
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| | still be found in some famous museums of
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| modeled the figures of rearing horses,
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| | the world. These countries usually made
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| known as the Marly Horses, about 1745.
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| | bronze idols, alter-vessels, and other
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| They were made in bronze, and in metals
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| | figures and articles for both domestic
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| imitating bronze, in very large numbers
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| | use and for export.
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