Mermaid bowl (wall), bronze
Mermaid bowl (wall), bronze
Quick info
limited, 199 copies | numbered | signed | bronze | chiselled | patinated | size 18 x 34 x 26 cm (h/w/d) | weight approx. 9.2 kg
Detailed description
Mermaid bowl (wall), bronze
Usually, the mermaid enchants the pond in which she lives; this one is her own home and is both a mermaid and a water bowl. Her wide-stretched arms elegantly merge into the bowl's rim, which stands on the floor but can also be mounted on a wall.
Edition in bronze, cast using the Lost-Wax-Process, chiselled and patinated by hand. Limited edition of 199 copies, numbered and signed. Size 18 x 34 x 26 cm (h/w/d). Weight approx. 9.2 kg.
Producer: ars mundi Edition Max Büchner GmbH, Bödekerstraße 13, 30161 Hanover, Germany Email: info@arsmundi.de
About Maria-Luise Bodirsky
Born in 1952, sculptor and ceramist
It is the basic elements of earth, water, fire and air that the sculptor and ceramist Maria-Luise Bodirsky, born in 1952, combines in her sculptures and the working process. Clay is her elementary artistic medium when capturing, tracing and depicting the inner and outer conditions of her figures.
Bodirsky draws inspiration for her archaic-looking figures from the early human history such as ancient Egyptian culture, Greek mythology and the Old Testament, or modern literature for example of Pablo Neruda.
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.