Why are statues in bronze so costly? What gives them value beyond. That of a "souvenir" that ends up in a closet? There are many reasons including cost of materials (bronze, silicone for molds, toos, ovens, etc.) But mostly because there are very few people trained in the tedious process practiced by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Many time consuming, difficult steps are involved. In a world of hi-tech mass production, bronze casting remains essentially unhanged. Each and Every bronze casting is in reality an "original" and the following explains why. These are the basic steps involved in creating a bronze Sculpture using the classic "cire perdue" (lost wax) process :
All bronze piece are cast from a wax model regardless of the original material the model was sculpted in. A silicone mold is made from the artist's finished piece, and a hollow wax cast is drawn from this mold. The wax is then repaired, re-worked and finished to the sculptor's specifications. Prior to creating