Description: Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Quite often, the shipping fee shown is much higher than the actual cost. I will happily refund funds charged over actual out-of-pocket costs after I ship your package. I am happy to combine items for shipping, I've changed my go-to for shipping to USPS ground parcel shipping. It may take a couple extra days, but it is priced by size & weight. Although it could save you money for shipping, it doesn't include insurance. USPS Priority mail is quicker & does include $50.00 insurance. I'm happy to ship at your pleasure. Bob Olszewski's creation process is very unique. But the process "Bronze Cire Perdue Polychromes" is really nothing new. Referred to as the "lost wax process." Archeological evidence suggests that the lost wax process of creating art forms using metals that can be melted (gold, silver, bronze, or copper, ect) was in use as early as 2000 B.C. in the Middle East. The design of a sculpture or other metal designer begins with a small block of dental wax, which is sculpted using fine carving tools. When the carved figurine has been completed, it can take anywhere between 100 to 400 hours. The wax sculpture is then placed inside a crucible and invested with plaster. After the plaster solidifies, it is heated, causing the wax to melt & drain out the holes put in for that purpose. The wax figurine, which took all those long hours of tedious carving to shape, is now "lost" forever, which is how the process earned its name. One of the challenges sculptors face while carving their figurines is that they must visualize how easily the production waxes can be removed from the molds. Sometimes, certain areas are so tiny that the removal of the waxes is almost impossible. Jewelers use this technique for creating very expensive, one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, although they usually make castings in gold rather than silver. To better understand why using the latex mold is so difficult, take any Olszewski figurine in your hand. Observe where you can see daylight through the figurine's parts. Whenever there is space surrounded by metal, a piece of latex from the mold filled the space during the making of the production wax. Much skill is required in all these painting departments to "do it right the first time." It is much easier to paint a 6" figurine than one less than an inch. Features are painted next. In this final painting step, the artisans must again cut into the previous paint. Now, again the piece must air dry for several days. Final quality control: Each finished figurine is carefully scrutinized for any painting imperfections. The base is now polished smooth & shiny so that the trademark decal can be seen clearly. Finally, a protective acrylic, which acts as a semi-flexible skin, is sprayed over the entire piece. Words such as "production limited to year of issue" have only been used twice, for "The Valentine Gift" and "What Now? pendants. Only members of the Goebel Collectors Club could buy these items with a redemption card that was issued during a one year period. For pieces that will remain natural bronze, the procedure is the same minus the painting. Instead of being painted, the figurines are oxidized into a dark bronze color. Look at one of your natural bronzes & observe the golden richness of the shading, especially on “She Sounds the Deep." Note how the heads of the fisherman are much lighter than the bottom of the boat. This shading was all done by hand. The unfinished bronze is thoroughly cleaned, de-greased, and prepared for production. The figurines are air brushed with white paint to highlight imperfections, then sent back for more grinding or buffing to eliminate the final flaws. Another coat of white paint is airbrushed on all the surfaces. Then, quality control makes an inspection. I hope you enjoy collecting Olszewski sculptures as much as I have! Please excuse the quality of my photos, but I am 72 years old & my hands shake quite a bit. I have tried everything to steady the camera, but they can appear blurry after I crop & enlarge the photo. I've tried to use my camera phone, but ever since my phone upgraded adding AI to it, all pictures seem to have a very blurred effect. Thank you for your interest in my listing. I appreciate your business. I'm happy to combine shipping on additional figures.
Price: 40 USD
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
End Time: 2025-01-08T06:23:36.000Z
Shipping Cost: 0 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Brand: Olszewski
Type: Figurine
Occasion: All Occasions
Color: Multicolor
Material: Bronze
Subject: Fairy
