PRODUCT

Elegant Art Deco Sculpture
Real Bronze w/ Marble Base
“The Dove”
by Dimitari Chiparus

This beautiful piece is 10″ tall and weighs 5 pounds.  The young lady is delicately holding a long tail love dove.   She looks somewhat apprehensive as she delicately supports the dove in her outstreached hands. Her face is beautiful with a bewildered expression. The three toned antiqued patina is very well applied and looks great!  This solid bronze piece is very graceful and a pleasure to view.

Demetre Chiparus was born in Romania, September 16, 1886, and passed away in Dorohoi, Romania – 22 January 1947, Paris, France. He was an Art Deco era sculptor who lived and worked in Paris. He is commonly known as the Father of Art Deco.  The first sculptures of Chiparus were created in the realistic style and were exhibited at the Salon of 1914. Most of his renowned works were made between 1914 and 1933. The mature style of Chiparus took shape beginning in the 1920’s. His sculptures are remarkable for their bright and outstanding decorative effect. Dancers of the Russian Ballet, French theatre, and early motion pictures were among his more notable subjects and were typified by a long, slender, stylized appearance. His work was influenced by an interest in Egypt, after Pharaoh]] Tutankhamen’s tomb was excavated.

How Is It Made ?
The “Lost Wax” Process

     What gives bronze art value beyond that of a “souvenir” that ends up in a closet? There are many reasons including cost of materials (bronze, silicone for molds, tools, ovens, etc.) The main reason is there are very few people trained in the tedious process practiced by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Bronze sculpture is not easy to make and many time consuming, difficult steps are involved. In a world of hi-tech mass production, bronze casting remains essentially unchanged. Beware of “cold cast” or “bonded bronze”, these are misleading names given to plastic figurines. Each of our genuine bronze castings 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:

• artist’s original model
• silicone mold of the model
• create lost wax mold
• bronze casting
• clean mold from casting
• grind, rasp and file bronze
• assemble pieces by welding
• file and finish assembled piece
• polishing
• application of patina

All bronze pieces are cast from a wax model regardless of the original material the model was sculpted. 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 a ceramic shell (explained below), vents are attached within the wax model. These vents are necessary in difficult areas where gas may accumulate such as hips, limbs, and neck. The vents allow the gas to escape when the molten bronze is poured and will prevent air pockets from forming and exploding the ceramic shell. The ceramic shell is one of the few materials the can withstand the heat of the molten metal.

When the wax cast is hardened and the vents are in place a ceramic shell is formed over the wax. This shell is made by dipping the wax into a slurry, coating it with sand, drying and repeating the process up to 14 times. A core consisting of plaster, ground brick and water is poured into the interior of the wax mold. After the ceramic shell and core have set, the mold is fired in an oven, the wax is melted and the ceramic shell is left intact. This process is known in French as “cire perdue” (lost wax). Molten bronze is now poured into the cavity left by the melted wax. When the bronze is cooled, the shell is chipped away using a hammer and chisel.

The bronze must now be repaired and finished. This step is called “chasing” and it is a difficult process because the metal is involved. Any imperfection such as air pockets of pits must be brazed with bronze rod, as in welding. All seams and spurs must be removed by grinding, rasping and, finally, sanding. The next step is to chase or hammer the vents from the mold using special tools. The natural bronze has a dull finish. after final finishing, a patina is applied which may be left matte of polished. Chemicals, pigments, heat, safety equipment and a lot of experience are involved. In addition, since bronze comes in a variety of alloys, the patina requires different chemicals and techniques.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________