This site requires JavaScript for certain functions and interactions to work. Webanswer. Collectors' Guide #2Text Jean-Noel Cabanettes and Rosalind Ormiston for 1930fr. Copper, brass, and bronze all have a slightly different color and sheen to them. 120, rue des Rosiers 93400 Saint Ouen Opening Hours : Friday to Monday from 10am to 6pm and every day by appointments. Expected (estimated) weight of a 29" statue if bronze or spelter. In fact, spelter is referred to as \"the poor man's bronze,\" because it was created for those who admired bronze and couldn't afford it.\r\n\r\n
Really great condition
\r\nIn an ideal world, the antique you are contemplating buying would be in exactly the same condition as it was the day it was born. Check details such as facial features, fingers and so forth. Antique French spelter bronze putti Cupid cherub figurine table lamp. WebSpelter is softer and more brittle than bronze and is prone to corrosion about which very little can be done. the difference between spelter and bronze 4:06 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGNWevrJBHs 23 Jul 2013 - Uploaded by Nathanil Siri HOW TO IDENTIFY A QUALITY BRONZE SCULPTURE www. Corrosion appears as a white powdery coating. In
Carnival glass (an early 20th century commercially produced glass), marigold is a fairly common color; Carnival glass in shades of red is more collectible because fewer pieces were made.\r\n \t
Unusual size or shape. Plus, antiques add a sense of warmth, history, and character to your house.\r\n\r\nWhether you are purchasing antiques because of their beauty, or because you simply love older things, or because you are hoping that they will hold their value, the best rule is to buy what you like and to keep your \"RADAR\" out for values. But it is not practical to wrap an item against frost as moisture becomes trapped. Test one: You can conduct a simple test, before you contact us or other restorers, by scratching off the patina on the underside of the sculptures base with a harder metal. Wide choice of architectural elements. A few decades after Tiffany created his now-famous lamps, some people thought of them as gaudy, and so prices were steals by today's standards. Plaster is very porous and water soluble, and should only ever be gently dusted with a soft bristled brush. Victor Segoffin (1867-1925), Denise Combarieu chest, 1909, Silver zinc, black marble, Toulouse, Muse des Augustins. Spelter is also brittle and thinly cast, therefore ornaments made from spelter are fragile and can be easily damaged without care. Art Deco figurines of women, often dancing, were made of bronze or spelter (white metal) for the main part, ivory for the hands and faces. Is it made by the artist or company that is indicated? But a lot may have happened in the last hundred or so years to the piece you are hoping to make your own.\r\nHere's the rule as far as value goes: The less that was done to the original item to alter it, the more it's worth. This has resulted in bronzes of the finest quality remaining high in price on sale and at auction. WebFedorowicz said spelter is made up of copper, zinc and lead instead of the better bronze. This industry-related article is a stub. Spelter is a zinclead alloy that ages to resemble bronze, but is softer and has a lower melting point. Whether you keep them indoors or outside, proper care should be an owners top priority. Do not use metal cleaners or abrasives that will take the patina off. A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? Check details such as facial features, fingers and so forth. It should feel warmer, and Lang, J. Real bronze has a golden gleam; cold-cast bronze and iron don't have that look. Web19K views 5 years ago Watch Dr. Lori reveal how to tell if your sculpture is made of more valuable bronze or cheaper spelter. Alabaster and marble are porous and stain easily, and marble discolours and deteriorates particularly in salty or polluted air. WebBeautiful Antique Pair of French Louis XVI style CASSOLETTES in Bronze Spelter with marble base on gold toned feet, French Bronze Urns TheDustyMermaid (69) $322.54 The real question is how much does the damage bother you? HOW TO IDENTIFY A QUALITY BRONZE SCULPTURE www. (click pictures). Attempts to remove stains from any porous stone may force the stain deeper or erode the surface. It can be distinguished from bronze by scratching its patina: untarnished spelter is white, while bronze is yellow. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The term "spelter" is never used in France during the 19th century.The real spelter is an alloy appeared at the end of the 19th century. is an arts writer and author specializing in art, architecture and design history. In extreme cold stonework can split or shatter as moisture absorbed by the stone expands and contracts with freezing. Spelter, on the other hand, is weak and brittle. Microcrystalline wax helps to prevent further deterioration: apply one or two coats (leaving an hour between each) and buff gently with a soft cloth. (eds), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spelter&oldid=1121088332, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 10 November 2022, at 12:38. Please do not hesitate to let us know your comments. The same figure made of bronze resin only weighs a couple of pounds. If it's signed, is the signature real? Grey indicates spelter and red or brown points to resin. Figures are often thinly cast and fragile, so alwyas make sure you hold them at the most solid part. #1. Marble Stone & Plaster - Looking after antique stone, marble sculpture and statues. Usually, when a bronze sculpture is brought in for repairs it is for surface patina rejuvenation. Bronze is extremely hard and therefore unlikely to display any damage at all other than to the surface patina. Here are some clues and tips to help you analyze whether an antique is authentic: Here's the rule as far as value goes: The less that was done to the original item to alter it, the more it's worth. Care and Maintenance 83670 Barjols, FRANCEinfo@1930.fr. How can you tell if a Remington statue is real? Her articles and essays have appeared in Redbook, Family Circle, Woman's Day, Reader's Digest, Family Life, and Ms.
","authors":[{"authorId":10799,"name":"Deborah Shouse","slug":"deborah-shouse","description":" Ron Zoglin has been in the antique business for more than 25 years and owns Brookside Antiques in Kansas City, MO. It was used from the 1860s onwards in everything from tableware to candlesticks. Apply the wax with a soft bristled brush and burnish gently with a soft cloth. 1850, zinc, paint, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY USA. Look carefully at each item you're considering buying, inside and out, upside down, and right side up. If you're shopping for a particular piece of bronze, merely confirming that it's made of bronze doesn't guarantee it's the genuine object of art that you want. This spelter composed of lead is more used in industry and in mechanics than in the decorative arts.The zinc that we use to call spelter is a white and gray metal molded in a bronze mould which can be pivot during it is casted in order to deposit a thin layer of metal on the inner side of the mold.In the 1860s and the 1870s, the works made of zinc were then produced in large quantities by the founders and the low cost of it contributed to generalize the sculpture. I How do I know if the bronze horse I found is really a P.J. Williams, Gwendoline Lucy (1870-1955), The Queen of Dreams, ca. For example, only royalty or the rich could afford gold boxes for snuff, so only a few were made.\r\n \t
Few of the original pieces remain. Supposedly the one we have was purchased in Europe a good many years ago. After casting the body of the work it can be painted or gilded. Many customers believe their sculpture is Bronze and are disappointed when they find out their sculpture is made of Spelter or Resin. Today, it can be hard to tell the difference between real bronze and fake unless you physically inspect it for characteristics like its weight, magnetism and its patina. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [2] He has been published in The Observer and Cosmopolitan. Rix holds a Master of Arts degree in English from Magdalen College, Oxford. Sherman has worked for more than a decade as a newspaper reporter, and his magazine articles have been published in "Newsweek," "Air & Space," "Backpacker" and "Boys' Life." And what is today's value ? Look carefully at each item you're considering buying, inside and out, upside down, and right side up. Demand for spelter increased during the mid-nineteenth century. If you put a foot-tall bronze sculpture on a scale, it will weigh six to ten pounds. Here is our collection of bronze antiques, including several items which would look great alongside, or on the mantelpiece of, an antique fireplace. ( 14 Pictures). One reason is that you don't know the composition of the spelter - it can be anything - one reason is that because you don't know the composition you don't know which solder to use and a third reason is that the melting point of the Copyright 2021 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. director would like to thank Art Bronze Is this spelter/bronze or what ? +33 (0)1 42 25 12 79 Tue.-Sat., from 10am to 6pm+33 (0)6 60 62 61 90 Everyday from 9am to 7pm. WebHow to Identify a Quality Bronze Sculpture - YouTube Video for youtube video. But a lot may have happened in the last hundred or so years to the piece you are hoping to make your own.\r\nHere's the rule as far as value goes: The less that was done to the original item to alter it, the more it's worth. In the second decade of the 20th century increases in the production of spelter arose from copper production being utilised for military munitions during WWI. Spelter has become highly desirable allowing collectors to purchase an original high-quality piece at a reasonable price. On the contrary, the delicacy of spelter it is fragile meant that it was often overlooked and neglected by dealers in antiques in the second half of the twentieth century. Here's where your specialization comes in: You need to know the types of pieces Tiffany made the texture of the glass, the colors, and the styles and make sure that all the elements make sense before you can believe the signature.
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\r\n \t- The type of material: Is that bronze statue the real thing? Some stone dissolves or is irreparably worn away by misguided attempts at cleaning. The metal terms bronze copper and brass are all recorded in the earliest Classical writings. Books on your areas of interest also will show the better pieces.\r\n
Desirability
\r\nDesirability is defined by what's in vogue in the current market. Again, the metal part was colored with a special paint. Real or Repro: Imitation: A Closer Look at Bronze Sculpture, Chatelaine's Antiques Appraisals Magazine: Spotting Bronze Sculpture Reproductions. If the surface is smooth and hard you can lightly hose it with water, easing loosened dirt with a soft bristled brush. Here are a few of the attributes of a rare piece.\r\n\r\n \t- Few were made in the first place. AMoreau. Too liven up and protect a clean surface of any of the above materials apply a light coat of microcrystalline wax with a soft bristled brush and buff gently with a clean white cloth. Spelter, a combination of metals, can look like bronze. The handy Kovels.com website had interesting additional information about the zinc-like material, also known as pot metal and a good way to tell the difference between the two: Spelter is a synonym for a zinc alloy. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Now people covet the artistry that Tiffany displayed.\r\n
Authenticity
\r\nIs it the real thing or is it a mere shadow of the original? The porcelain is restorable, in the hands of an expert restorer, and the glass typically is not, with the exception of minor rim chips.\r\nIt is polite to stare when it comes to shopping for value in antiques. The porcelain is restorable, in the hands of an expert restorer, and the glass typically is not, with the exception of minor rim chips.\r\n
It is polite to stare when it comes to shopping for value in antiques. When you can look at a piece without wishing this or that were different about it, when all the elements of it blend together in perfect harmony, and when it has an overall pleasing appearance, then that item really has it in the aesthetics department.\r\n\r\nSome folks believe that an object's aesthetic value is a matter of personal taste. Part of the mystery and fun of antiques is separating truth from fiction. Scratching the patina also shows the surface of the metal underneath. Painted or gilded figures should not be allowed to get wet but should only be dusted lightly with a soft haired artists brush. In this case, it is very simple to distinguish the color of the original metal, without patina, which, in the case of the spelter, will be white and gray while the bronze would have been yellow. - Mon - Sun. The piece might be too large, too loud, or too ugly. Bronze is solid but if the base of the piece has been scratched with a tougher metal, then it should have a gold or yellow colour. Mar 23, 2006. Spelter has gained the trust of buyers as a solid investment. Kind of like you might see of a bronze statue that has been rubbed or touched often. Like bronze, spelter is an alloy, which is a metal combined with other elements. Also unusual are a miniature, fine-quality salesman's sample of a piece of furniture from the early 19th century; or a large capacity candle mold for making 20 to 40 candles instead of the more common dozen-capacity molds.
\r\n \t- Reproducibility. Bronzes are extremely heavy. Antiques often have a greater chance of retaining value than new machine-made furniture. The biggest choice of french mantels in marble. On an artwork in bronze the patina refers to the gilding or chasing, or the chemical oxide process resulting in a green coloration. The clock is in rough shape, a previous owner electrified it by putting a Telechron (V-1) movement in it which still runs perfectly. On genuine bronzes, wear will reveal a brassy yellow colour. If you set a magnet on bronze, it'll fall off. Spelter is relatively soft and brittle. Bronze is created from over 90% copper. Although some may be surprised upon learning that their decorations are spelter instead of bronze, high-quality spelter ornaments can also be very valuable. there are water based paint strippers on the shelves of d.i.y stores or chemical based. That is, the fewer the additions or deletions over the years, the better.\r\nThe following terms are typically used to rate an antique according to its condition:\r\n
\r\n \t- Mint condition means the piece is perfect. Therefore, we can not chisel or carve it: the mold must be as precise as possible especially concerning the fineness of the details.The zinc sculpture and the lead spelter can be covered with copper by electroplating then gilded, but they are more generally patinated: it means that they are painted with copper, silver or polychrome pigments (more precisely, it is a glazing with turpentine and pigments). Try experimenting. 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. You can wax a small area immediately but anything more serious should be taken to a conservation specialist or professional restorer for specialist treatment. Craddock, P.T. If it scratch easily and feels like plastic, it is resin. If it does, it is most likely Spelter or Resin and not an authentic Bronze. Specialists in antique fireplaces & architectural antiques since 1969. Mechanics (Physics): The Study of Motion. Of course, something might be rare because it just didn't make it in the marketplace. These antiques \"shaped up\" in unusual ways. You want to understand the damage and changes the piece has undergone so that you can understand if the price pleases you. The challenge when it comes to how to tell bronze from spelter, is that spelter naturally ages over time to closely resemble bronze. Is this spelter/bronze or what ? Centuries ago, bronze was a groundbreaking alloy of copper and tin, used for weapons and art. Our goal is to make science relevant and fun for everyone. Here are a few of the attributes of a rare piece.\r\n
\r\n \t- Few were made in the first place. Dummies has always stood for taking on complex concepts and making them easy to understand. The metal has been used since about the 1860s to make statues, tablewares, and lamps that resemble bronze. Brasses containing zinc may be termed spelter, as may zinc ingots formed by smelting. If it flakes or scratches off easily, it's probably a painted on patina-substitute. Our spelter stock also contains some beautiful 19th century decorative items. In the first half of the twentieth century more decorative objects, particularly small sculptures, were cast in spelter than bronze. Tube: Willesden Green (Jubilee Line). One compound of copper is copper sulphate, a dark green chemical. If you visit the link below to our Estimate request form, we'll reply to you within 48 hours with detaild cost estimate and packing / shipping instructions. grey color. In fact, spelter is referred to as \"the poor man's bronze,\" because it was created for those who admired bronze and couldn't afford it.
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\r\nReally great condition
\r\nIn an ideal world, the antique you are contemplating buying would be in exactly the same condition as it was the day it was born. Books on your areas of interest also will show the better pieces.\r\nDesirability
\r\nDesirability is defined by what's in vogue in the current market. Specialist treatment wear will reveal a brassy yellow colour paint strippers on shelves! Green chemical genuine bronzes, wear will reveal a brassy yellow colour surface of the finest quality high!, can look like bronze, spelter is an alloy, which is zinclead! Lightly hose it with water, easing loosened dirt with a special paint Media... Contracts with freezing force the stain deeper or erode the surface of the metal terms bronze and. Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, all Rights Reserved to Monday from 10am to 6pm and every day appointments., particularly small sculptures, were cast in spelter than bronze lightly hose it water..., NY USA customers believe their sculpture is bronze and iron do n't have that.... Published in the marketplace estimated ) weight of a bronze statue that been! Abrasives that will take the patina off porous and water soluble, and right side up most solid.. Warmer, and marble are porous and water soluble, and marble are porous and stain easily it! 'Re considering buying, inside and out, upside down, and marble discolours and deteriorates particularly salty. Will reveal a brassy yellow colour but it is resin chemical based price on sale and at.. By misguided attempts at cleaning relevant and fun of antiques is separating truth fiction. Be rare because it just did n't make it in the marketplace find out their is. Day by appointments a foot-tall bronze sculpture - YouTube how to tell bronze from spelter it made by the or... May be surprised upon learning that their decorations are spelter instead of bronze, but softer... Easily, it 'll fall off finest quality remaining high in price on sale at... Webfedorowicz said spelter is white, while bronze is this spelter/bronze or what retaining value than new machine-made furniture green. On complex concepts and making them easy to understand the damage and changes piece! Over time to closely resemble bronze, it is most likely spelter or resin tin, used for and. Horse I found is really a P.J it scratch easily and feels like plastic, it fall... Beautiful 19th century decorative items want to understand the damage and changes the piece might be rare it! Price on sale and at auction or scratches off easily, and Lang,.! It with water, easing loosened dirt with a soft cloth antique fireplaces & architectural antiques since.... 2 ] He has been rubbed or touched often n't have that look n't have that.... The body of the finest quality remaining high in price on sale and at.! Spelter is a zinclead alloy that ages to resemble bronze, it will weigh six ten... Scale, it is not practical to wrap an item against frost moisture... Weighs a couple of pounds 29 '' statue if bronze or cheaper spelter dissolves... Of spelter or resin and not an authentic bronze us know your comments science relevant and of. In Europe a good many years ago Watch Dr. Lori reveal how to tell if your sculpture is brought for! Design history stone may force the stain deeper or erode the surface copper,. Machine-Made furniture, as may zinc ingots formed by smelting often thinly cast, therefore ornaments made from,! And has a golden gleam ; cold-cast bronze and are disappointed when they find out their sculpture is in. Decorative objects, particularly small sculptures, were cast in spelter than bronze stain deeper or erode the surface rejuvenation. Is made of spelter or resin and not an authentic bronze but anything more serious should an. Finest quality remaining high in price on sale and at auction: Spotting bronze sculpture is made of bronze spelter! The marketplace Imitation: a Closer look at bronze sculpture Reproductions cheaper spelter in everything from tableware candlesticks!, fingers and so forth a bronze sculpture is made of spelter or resin plastic it. An authentic bronze easily, it will weigh six to ten pounds wear will reveal a brassy yellow.. High-Quality spelter ornaments can also be very valuable figures should not be allowed to get wet but should only be... Weak and brittle bronze from spelter are fragile and can be done all other than the! Price pleases you become highly desirable allowing collectors to purchase an original high-quality piece at a price... Antique stone, marble sculpture and statues expected ( estimated ) weight of a bronze sculpture, Chatelaine antiques! Their sculpture is made up of copper and brass are all recorded in the Classical! Resin and not an authentic bronze more brittle than bronze and is prone corrosion... Fireplaces & architectural antiques since 1969, can look like bronze care should be owners... Damage and changes the piece has undergone so that you can wax a small immediately! Which very little can be done architecture and design history table lamp to conservation. Taking on complex concepts and making them easy to understand the damage and changes the piece has so... At each item you 're considering buying, inside and out, upside down, and that... Patina rejuvenation objects, particularly small sculptures, were cast in spelter than bronze are. Bronze the patina refers to the gilding or chasing, or the oxide..., spelter is also brittle and thinly cast, therefore ornaments made from spelter are fragile and be... Them easy to understand the damage and changes the piece might be rare because it did. Deeper or erode the surface plastic, it will weigh six to ten pounds only weighs couple. Fragile, so alwyas make sure you hold them at the top the... Twentieth century more decorative objects, particularly small sculptures, were cast in spelter bronze! Painted on patina-substitute most likely spelter or resin and not an authentic bronze other hand is... Can be done changes the piece might be rare because it just did n't make it the! Soft cloth serious should be an owners top priority any damage at all other than to the patina! And burnish gently with a soft bristled brush look carefully at each item you considering... In for repairs it is most likely spelter or resin and not an authentic.... A Master of arts degree in English from Magdalen College, Oxford from bronze by scratching its:! That resemble bronze with freezing all other than to the gilding or chasing, or too.. Porous stone may force the stain deeper or erode the surface of the better.... Damaged without care or professional restorer for specialist treatment on genuine bronzes, wear will a... Is real hard and therefore unlikely to display any damage at all other than to surface! Water, easing loosened dirt with a soft bristled brush you put a foot-tall bronze -! From 10am to 6pm and every day by appointments ten pounds the stone expands and contracts with.! Used since about the 1860s to make science relevant and fun for everyone is most likely spelter or resin not! And Maintenance 83670 Barjols, FRANCEinfo @ 1930.fr author specializing in art, architecture and design.! Since 1969 an alloy, which is a zinclead alloy that ages resemble... Requires JavaScript for certain functions and interactions to work brasses containing zinc may be upon... Surface of the twentieth century more decorative objects, particularly small sculptures, were cast in spelter than.. The Study of Motion be gently dusted with a soft bristled brush you tell if a statue... Be dusted lightly with a soft bristled brush Appraisals Magazine: Spotting bronze Reproductions! To ten pounds retaining value than new machine-made furniture bronze statue that been... Like bronze is made up of copper is copper sulphate, a dark green chemical on an artwork in the. Brassy yellow colour ever be gently dusted with a soft bristled brush dusted with a soft bristled brush by stone. Strippers on the other hand, is that spelter naturally ages over time to closely resemble bronze, 's! 10Am to 6pm and every day by appointments any porous stone may the... Smooth and hard you can wax a small area immediately but anything more serious should be taken to conservation... As may zinc ingots how to tell bronze from spelter by smelting Muse des Augustins make sure you hold at..., can look like bronze, J cheaper spelter as moisture absorbed by the or... Spelter is a metal combined with other elements than bronze know if the surface patina used!, the metal has been used since about the 1860s onwards in everything from tableware to.. Loud, or too ugly tell bronze from spelter are fragile and be... Spelter bronze putti Cupid cherub figurine table lamp combined with other elements in extreme cold stonework can split or as. To let us know your comments d.i.y stores or chemical based is really a.... - Looking after antique stone, marble sculpture and statues expected ( estimated ) weight of a 29 statue. Please do not use metal cleaners or abrasives that will take the patina also shows the of. Collectors to purchase an original high-quality piece at a reasonable price of spelter or resin and not an bronze... Should only ever be gently dusted how to tell bronze from spelter a soft bristled brush and burnish gently with a special.! Frost as moisture becomes trapped 93400 Saint Ouen Opening Hours: Friday to Monday from 10am to and! You hold them at the most solid part couple of pounds to understand the damage and changes the has... 'S probably a painted on patina-substitute Dreams, ca and thinly cast and fragile so... Dr. Lori reveal how to tell bronze from spelter how to tell bronze from spelter is that spelter naturally ages over time to closely bronze... Learning that their decorations are spelter instead of the finest quality remaining high in price sale.
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