Quick info
bronze + wood | hand chased and patinated | total height 68 cm | total weight approx. 13.3 kg
Detailed description
Garden sculpture "Raccoon, looking" (version with pedestal), bronze
The raccoon is an extremely skilful animal. According to behavioural biologists, it is probably also a very intelligent animal. Indigenous natives in its homeland of America have even said that it has magical powers. In German the racoon is named "Waschbär" ('wash-bear'). But this cute little fellow is not a bear - it is a member dog family (Canidae). And the fact that it "washes" its food before eating, as was believed when giving it its German name, is also more human perception than reality.
Raccoons are extremely skilled climbers. There is no fence, no gate, no roof ridge that they cannot climb. Bronze sculpture, cast using the Lost-Wax-Process, chiselled and patinated by hand. Size 49 x 37 x 22 cm (h/w/d). Weight approx. 11,9 kg. Including oak pedestal 19 x 12 x 12 cm (h/w/d). Total height 68 cm. Total weight approx. 13.3 kg.
An alloy of copper with other metals (especially with tin) used since ancient times. It is an ideal metal for high-quality artistic castings, capable of enduring for millennia.
When casting bronze, the artist usually applies the lost-wax technique which is dating back more than 5000 years. This is the best, but also the most complex method of producing sculptures.
First, the artist forms a model of their work. This model is embedded in a liquid silicone rubber mass. Once the material has solidified, the model is cut out, leaving a negative mould. Liquid wax is then poured into the negative mould. After cooling down, the wax cast is removed from the mould, provided with sprues and dipped into ceramic mass. The ceramic mass is hardened in a kiln, where the wax melts away (lost mould).
Finally, the negative mould is ready, into which the 1400° C hot molten bronze is poured. After the bronze had cooled down, the ceramic shell is broken apart, reavoling the sculpture.
Next, the sprues are removed, the surfaces are polished, patinated and numbered by the artist or by a specialist, following their instructions. Thus, each casting is an original work.
For lower-quality bronze castings, the sand casting method is often used, which, however, does not achieve the results of a more elaborate lost-wax technique in terms of surface characteristics and quality.