IRAN ART EXHIBITION: BRONZE AND ITS ROLE IN HANDCRAFTING
Bronze is a metal alloy. Bronze is mostly copper, with some tin added (generally 5% to 20%) to make it stronger. When two words are used to name an alloy, and one of the words is Bronze, this means the alloy is made mostly from copper. When an alloy is called only ‘Bronze’, it means the alloy of copper and tin. Sometimes the alloy is made in combination of other metals like Aluminum, Led, Silicon or Phosphor. They are named as ‘Aluminum Bronze’, ‘Leaded Bronze’, ‘Silicon Bronze’, and ‘Phosphor Bronze’ respectively. Bronze is more fusible (i.e., more readily melted) and is hence easier to cast. It is also harder than pure iron and far more resistant to corrosion.
Bronze was the first alloy that was used by humans. The archeological period in which bronze was the hardest metal in widespread use is known as the Bronze Age. The Bronze Age is a pre historic period, approximately 3300 BC to 1200 BC. An ancient civilization is defined to be in the Bronze Age. During the Harappa Civilization, the religion was propagated and brought to the people through the mobile images of gods and goddess in bronze. Exquisite Bronzes which are considered as grand exposition of Indian art were made during this medieval period.
IRAN ART EXHIBITION: Each Bronze statue is made by traditional technique of lost wax. In this process a wax mould of the sculpture is created. All the carving and detailing is done on this wax model. The wax model is covered with layers of very fine clay. The model is open at bottom and top. It is again covered with thick layer of mixture of clay, cow dung and rice husk and left to dry. The model is heated on high temperature allowing the melted wax to drain from the bottom opening. The empty apace created by lst wax is filled with melted metal, which is heated on very high temperature. The melted metal (Bronze) is very skillfully poured into the clay mould from the top opening. During this process the mould is continuously kept heated to spread the metal evenly. This is the most crucial stage and requires skilled craftsmanship. The piece is allowed to cool and after few days the outer shell of clay mould is broken and the metal sculpture is revealed. This metal sculpture is finally engraved and polished by skilled craftsman resulting into a beautiful Bronze sculpture.
