The art of bronze sculpture

Bronze sculpture is a form reaching far back into several ancient and sophisticated civilizations. Some of the earliest bronze were mastered by the Greeks, Chinese, Romans and Egyptians. Each of the these ancient cultures contributed their own part to molding the variations of bronze sculpting. Life size bronze sculptures were first created by the Greeks, but few have survived through time. A few more of the Roman bronze art works have survived over the Greek's "bronze". By 1200 c., the Chinese civilization practiced the methods of Lost-wax casting and section mold casting. Mass production of bronze art works was began by the Egyptian civilization, leaving behind many small Lost-wax figurines to be enjoyed for many centuries beyond their own.




But the value of the bronze for other uses is disadvantageous to the preservation of sculptures; few large ancient bronzes have survived, as many were melted down to make weapons in times of war or to create new sculptures commemorating the victors, while far more stone and ceramic works have come through the centuries, even if only in fragments.