Stunning Hand Crafted Bronze Loet Vanderveen Penguin Sculpture. This item is a Limited Edition which is hand signed and numbered 1564/2500. the piece comes beautifully presented in a Loet Vanderveen protective bag and outer box. Each piece is individual - No two are alike.
A brief explanation of the lost wax process
THE ORIGINAL SCULPTURE:
THE PROCESS BEGINS WITH AN IDEA THAT IS TRANSLATED INTO A ROUGH, THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODEL. THIS ROUGH MODEL IS REFINED UNTIL THE SHAPE IS ACCURATE AND ARTISTICALLY PERFECT. THE ARTIST THEN COMPLETES THE SCULPTURE, USUALLY USING CLAY, WOOD, STONE, WAX OR PLASTER.
THE MOLD:
A FLEXIBLE MOLD IS MADE FROM THE ARTISTS ORIGINAL USING CLAY, RUBBER AND FIBERGLASS. THESE MODERN TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS ARE ABLE TO CAPTURE EVERY DETAIL. THE MOLD PROCESS CAN BE LENGTHY.
THE WAX CASTING:
HOT MOLTEN WAX IS PAINTED THEN POURED INTO THE MOLD, PRODUCING ALL OF THE DETAIL OF THE SCULPTURE. COOLER WAX IS THEN ADDED IN VARIOUS LAYERS UNTIL A PROPER THICKNESS IS ACHIEVED.
WAX CHASING (DETAILING):
WHEN THE WAX CASTING IS REMOVED FROM THE MOLD, IT IS HAND-FINISHED TO PERFECTLY MATCH THE ORIGINAL.
GATING:
WAX RODS CALLED SPRUES ARE APPLIED TO THE WAX CASTING TO ALLOW THE WAX TO BE REMOVED AND FUNNELS CALLED GATES ARE ATTACHED TO RECEIVE THE MOLTEN BRONZE.
INVESTING:
THE WAX CASTING IS CLEANED AND COATED WITH UP TO 7 LAYERS OF LIQUID REFRACTORY CERAMIC IN A TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT. THE INVESTING PROCESS CAN TAKE UP TO A WEEK AS EACH COAT MUST DRY BEFORE THE NEXT LAYER IS APPLIED.
FIRING:
THE CERAMIC MOLD IS FIRED IN A KILN, WHICH BAKES THE CERAMIC AND MELTS OUT THE WAX, LEAVING A CAVITY IN ITS PLACE (THUS THE TERM LOST WAX PROCESS).
CASTING:
THE CERAMIC MOLD IS PREHEATED, THEN FILLED WITH MOLTEN BRONZE AT A TEMPERATURE OF 2100 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. (BRONZE IS AN ALLOY, PRIMARILY COPPER
UP TO 96%).
DIVESTMENT:
AFTER THE BRONZE HAS COOLED, THE CERAMIC MOLD IS CAREFULLY HAMMERED AND CHISELED, BROKEN AWAY, REVEALING THE SCULPTURE WITHIN. THE BRONZE IS SANDBLASTED AND THE GATES ARE POWER-CUT OFF.
CHASING:
THEN THE GATES AND SPRUES ARE GRINDED AWAY, THESE AREAS BLENDED INTO THE CASTING. THEN COMES THE BALANCE OF THE CHASING PROCESS: LEVELING, GRINDING CORE PINS, WELDING, SANDING, FILEING, DIE GRINDING, BEAD BLASTING, ROUGH BUFFING AND QUALITY CONTROL.
PATINATION:
THE CHASED BRONZE IS NOW TREATED WITH CHEMICALS AND HEAT TO GIVE IT THE CHOSEN COLOR. THE PATINA IS NOW A PERMANENT PART OF THE SCULPTURE. THE PROCESS IS PROPRIETARY, BUT INVOLVES UNDERCOATS, VARIED CHEMICAL SEQUENCES, DIFFERENT TEMPERATURE RANGES AND MULTIPLE PROCESSES. AFTER THE COLOR IS APPLIED, HOT WAX IS USED TO SEAL THE METALS PORES. THEN THE SCULPTURE IS BUFFED BRIGHT WHERE REQUIRED AND RE-RUBBED AND RE-WAXED THREE TIMES BY HAND. THE SCULPTURE MUST BE HANDLED WITH CARE TO AVOID DAMAGING THESE PATINAS.
SIGNING AND NUMBERING:
LIMITED EDITION SCULPTURES ARE SIGNED AND NUMBERED USING AN ENGRAVER.
