Thanjavur - Part 3

Bronze

We were treated to a demonstration of how bronze is made at a workshop in town.

First beeswax and "plant wax" (carnuba wax?) are melted together to give a molding wax of the proper consistency.

Next the wax is shaped and sculpted into the desired figure.

A completed wax model of Ganesha sitting on a slab of beeswax.

The the wax figure is entirely encased in terra cotta and holes are made to allow melted wax to leave and bronze to be poured in, and it is allowed to sit in the sun until completely dry and hardened -- 1 to 3 days depending upon the weather.

Bronze is prepared in a very hot fire. In this shop, it is an alloy of copper, zinc, and lead, with tiny amounts of gold and silver added at times -- especially if the image is a god.

A container of red-hot bronze.

In two steps not shown here, the wax is melted and flows out through the holes in the terra cotta case, leaving a mold behind. Then molten bronze is poured into the mould through the same holes and allowed to cool.

A terra cotta mold with a completed bronze figure inside.

Using a hammer to break the terra cotta mould away from the bronze figure inside.

The figure on the left is the one newly released from its mould. The one on the right was made earlier.

A small bronze of Saraswati that we purchased from the shop.