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How to
Clean and Care for Bronze Sculptures
The most natural way to care for your south Indian and Bangladeshi bronze
statues from Lotus Sculpture is to use a rag and with some coconut oil
on it. Coconut oil is natural and will not chemically remove any of the
original coloring of the piece. It returns the piece to it's most
natural state. Although it is not recommended to entirely remove the
green patina coloring, coconut oil will succeed in removing some of the excess
green coloring on bronze statues.
Bronze is
copper alloy. In modern times, bronze is an alloy of copper and
any metal except zinc. It is generally more expensive
than brass and more corrosion resistant.
Bronze forms a patina (green color) which is protective
to the metal and is often seen on artwork. The green patina is
indicative of older pieces and is prized by collectors. Reproduced it is
called Verde.
Over time, bronze will
deteriorate if exposed to moisture and chlorides or
sulfides.
Moisture alone will not damage bronze making bronze sculpture ideal
for outdoor garden settings.
Keep
bronze pieces as clean as possible. Accumulations of dust and dirt can
eat into the metal surface. Dust regularly using a
soft cloth. Do not rub too vigorously,
especially on any protruding parts. If a bronze piece has
been neglected for a long time and is covered with grime, thoroughly clean
it with a soft brush. Remove all dust from crevices and notches and then
lightly rub the entire surface with a soft flannel
cloth.
A simple way to
naturally upkeep your
bronze statue
is to go over the
sculpture once a week with a rag. This prevents any dust
build up. It also leaves the bronze with an added shimmer. It
allows the piece to age naturally without the use of any solutions that may
distort the natural appearance of the piece. Bronze is a metal. It
is natural for metal to color in time. In our opinion a natural
coloration gives a sculpture character and thus adds to the esthetic value of
a piece.
For a more
thorough cleaning, carefully wash with a solution of 1 tablespoon of salt
and 3 1/2 quarts of water. Rinse well. Polish with copper polish followed by
glass wax. If you want a high polish, dip a cloth
into liquid wax and apply to the piece. When dry,
buff lightly to a high gloss. This wax treatment also may
be given to bronze pieces that are kept outdoors. Weathered bronze usually
darkens; however, this is natural and
does not harm the piece.
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Coconut Oil, a 100% Natural Way to Maintain Your Bronze Statues:
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Coconut oil is a 100% natural way to care for your
south Indian and Bangladeshi bronze statues from Lotus Sculpture. Coconut
oil will give your bronze statues a wonderful, resplendent shine fitting
for a god.
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purchase Parachute coconut oil |
"Bronze
disease" is one of the most serious hazards of bronze. This disease,
caused when chlorides and oxygen combine in a damp
environment, also attacks brass and pewter.
The disease takes the form of a sudden outbreak of small patches
of corrosion and is distinguished by rough, light green spots. "Bronze
disease" usually can be stopped by going over the piece with a layer of
coconut oil. If this does not help the piece you may want to try washing the piece in repeated changes
of boiling hot, distilled water. You may have to soak the object for a
week or more in distilled water.
General
Purpose Bronze Cleaner: Salt, Vinegar, and Flour. Dissolve 1teaspoon salt in
1 cup white vinegar. Add enough flour to make a paste. Apply paste to bronze and let sit for 15 minutes to 1
hour. Rinse with clean, warm water, and polish
dry.
How to Clean and Preserve
Polished Bronze Statues from Lotus Sculpture
by P. Throne. Mr Throne is a
customer of Lotus Sculpture. He also is the founder of Project Ganesh, a
non profit foundation that raises money for the restoration of Ganesh temples
in India. Please take a look at
www.projectganesh.org for more information.
"1) Make a soupy paste of pure
calcium carbonate (marble dust, available at art supply stores) and
distilled water. Some people recommend a little ethyl alcohol in the
paste, but I just used distilled water and it worked great.
2) Use a soft cloth to rub the
bronze with the chalk paste. It takes off the dirt and oxidation (if
desired), but does not bite the metal like a chemical polish would.
3) Rinse well in distilled
water, using a soft brush to clean the paste out of crevices. Let dry.
4) Apply Renaissance Wax
(museum quality archival wax, available through Woodcraft.com and other
internet suppliers). Allow the wax to dry and then buff with a soft brush
like a shoe polish brush.
The wax will prevent further
oxidation. If a natural patina is desired, then the wax can be skipped. The
wax is not a permanent protection, but it is long-lasting."
| How
to Clean Bronze - 2002 Consumer Reports |
Clean with a
soft brush. If you notice the surface is still dirty, sponge lightly
with soapy water, wipe dry, and polish with a chamois cloth. Remove
stubborn marks with a little paint thinner on a soft cloth, and polish
with a chamois cloth.
Helpful Hint
Save yourself
some elbow grease: There's no need to keep outdoor ornament made of bronze squeaky
clean and shiny. Bronze is intended to have a dull patina and usually
doesn't look as attractive when it's polished to a high shine.
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