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Bronze is one of the oldest alloys known; a mixture of
mostly copper and a small amount of tin. Bronze
is known for its strength and corrosion resistance.
It has been so widely used throughout the world for so long that it's
origin cannot be accurately determined. It was bronze metallurgy that led to the
replacement of earlier stone tools and weapons with the more versatile bronze.
The discovery and use of bronze in ancient societies was so important to
their development that archaeologists now refer to that time period as the
"Bronze Age".
In addition to the pragmatic uses for bronze, for more
than 4,000 years it has played an important role in art.
Throughout antiquities, bronze was often the material of choice for
everything from the smallest trinket to the Colossus of Rhodes, Greece (a bronze
statue of the Rhodes deity "Helios" which is said to have been
approximately 120 feet high and was one of the "Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World").
Few materials cling to there original beauty as
well as a bronze sculpture. Aging
as eloquently as a fine wine, bronze only gets better with age.
Subtle changes in the finish merely add to the beauty and character of
the sculpture, especially when it's been exposed to the elements.
There's just nothing quite like a bronze.
Even first time art collectors can appreciate the "weighty"
quality and feel of a bronze.
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