The Beauty of Bronze

Bronze is considered the metal of the ages, a title well deserved given its long history and modern usage.
By Lynwood Davis of Arrow Bronze

An accidental beginning
The discovery of bronze dates back to 3500 BC when man learned that a stronger metal could be created by adding a small amount of tin to molten copper. Historians believe that this discovery happened purely by accident while stones rich in copper and tin ores burned in the campfire. As the use of bronze became more widespread, the Stone Age was transformed into the Bronze Age. During this period the major tools and weapons were made of bronze and it was also used by most cultures for practical and decorative purposes. The Bronze Age was a period of significant cultural advancement with the search for ores leading to the opening of trade routes and the establishment of complex trade networks. Many historians consider the Bronze Age to be a cultural revolution second in importance to the Industrial Revolution of modern times.

Bronze in art
The practice of creating works of art in bronze is one of the most ancient and widespread artistic disciplines. Bronze artefacts from 3000 BC have been discovered intact. Shortly after the fall of the Roman Empire stone was used more frequently than bronze for sculptures. The 9th and 10th centuries saw the return of bronze in art and the 16th and 17th centuries were high points for bronze casting everywhere. Bronze art declined noticeably during the 19th and 20th centuries as direct carving became the preferred art form. Today, cast bronze is unchallenged in the fine arts as a medium, especially for freestanding sculpture. The durability of bronze makes it preferable to stone or wood in many types of work. For statuary, bronze offers the freedom to express almost any concept or image.

Bronze memorialisation
Bronze statues and artwork feature prominently all over the world as
tributes to man’s achievements, discoveries and passing. At the beginning of the 20th century, bronze emerged as a new material in memorialisation. The trend began in the USA then spread to both Canada and Australia as people began to appreciate bronze memorials in the beautiful landscapes of cemeteries. With the growth of cremation as a funeral option, bronze plaque memorials in gardens, on walls and numerous other settings have become the preferred option to stone, stainless steel and other less enduring and less legible products. Bronze is an ideal material for statues, memorials and commemorative plaques due to the high level of detail that can be achieved and because it virtually lasts forever.

Arrow Bronze has played a leading role in the promotion of bronze in memorialisation. Throughout the last 50 years, Arrow Bronze has supplied cemeteries and crematoria all over Australia and New Zealand with innovative and quality bronze products.