Hello John, thank you for your review. I would like to clarify that bronze sculptures are seldom 'solid' bronze. Real bronzes which are cast in the ancient lost wax casting method, like our sculptures are, are cast around a mold. There is always going to be hollow spaces within the bronze, it is rarely completely ''solid'. As to the sound you are hearing, that is not loose metal, it is sand which has become trapped inside of the hollow of the sculpture during the casting process, and due to the high heat of the furnace the sand can become fused together and form little pebbles which become stuck inside of the hollows within the sculpture (where the mold used to be). It is not a defect or damage, and if anything is a testament to the nature of these sculptures which are handmade one at a time, each slightly unique from the next. We address this very issue in our FAQ.s and advise you to check out the 'casting process' link on our website if you are interested in the process with which our sculptures are created.
Furthermore, here is a more detailed explanation:
Bronze sculptures are typically hollow for several reasons:
Material Efficiency: Casting a solid bronze statue would require a large amount of metal, making the sculpture very heavy and expensive.
Thermal Stress Management: During the cooling process, the metal contracts. If a sculpture were solid, it could crack due to internal stresses caused by uneven cooling.
Artistic Control: The thickness of the bronze can be controlled in the hollow space, allowing for fine detailing and ensuring that the sculpture has proper support where needed.
As for the presence of sand inside the sculpture, during the casting process sand is often used during the process, which can indeed become trapped inside the hollow parts of the sculpture. The high temperatures of the bronze casting can cause some of the sand to fuse and form small pebbles inside the sculpture. This is not typically seen as a defect but rather a part of the character of a handmade, cast bronze sculpture. Each piece is unique, and these small quirks contribute to the individuality of each sculpture.