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bronze sculptures
Item: Bronze boat
Size: 31 x 10 x 7 cm
Weight: 850 g
Material: bronze (oxidized)
Price: € 85.00 (£ 68.00)
Item number: G 03 001
Delivery time: 1 - 2 weeks
Sold
Item number: G 03 002
Delivery time: 1 - 2 weeks
Sold
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Bronze and brass artifacts of the Dogon
In many West African traditional communities, blacksmiths enjoy a privileged position, as they master the elements earth, air and fire. For this reason, they are often given the role of mediator in the case of conflicts. Among the Dogon of Mali, the respect that is shown for blacksmiths is related to Dogon myths of creation. The blacksmith was one of the first primordial beings, brought fire, iron and seeds to Earth. The bronze boat depicts the myth of the ancestors arriving to the Dogon country on the back of a crocodile.
West African sculptors were casting brass with this method for several hundred years prior to the arrival of the first Europeans. The technique requires a great deal of skill, involving extensive knowledge of both pottery and metalworking, and a careful attention to changing temperatures to prevent unwanted cracking or other damage to either the clay mold or to the metal sculpture during the casting process.
The process begins with beeswax, latex, or another material with a low melting point. It must be soft enough for carving fine details, but hard enough to retain its shape. After the wax object has been carved, increasingly coarse layers of clay are applied to the object and allowed to dry. The first and finest clay slips capture the wax details in the smooth mould, and the coarser clay layers provide strength. The entire assemblage is fired, causing the original wax carving to melt away, leaving only a baked clay shell. Liquid bronze or brass is poured into the empty mould and left to cool and harden. Later, the clay exterior is broken open, revealing the finished metal object beneath. In direct lost-wax casting, the object produced is always unique, as the mould is necessarily destroyed as part of the casting process.
Apley, Alice. "African Lost-Wax Casting". Timeline of Art History. N.Y. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Naamion takana. Ed. Eila Kivekäs. Pyynikinlinna, Tampere, Finland.
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