Buying bronze statues can be overwhelming, especially for first-time buyers.
How much does a bronze statue actually cost?
Well, most bronze statues cost anywhere between a few thousand dollars for smaller sculptures and well over tens of thousands for larger and more intricate ones.
The main reason behind this wide price range is that bronze sculptures are complex and there are many factors that determine the price of an individual sculpture.
Where to Find Quality Bronze Statues for Sale?
Bronze statues can be found everywhere on the internet, however, out of the hundred places you can find these statues, there’s only a few you should actually buy them from: Reputed Sites.
For exemple a low-quality picture shouldn’t be a deal-breaker if the buyer is from a reputed site.
Anyway, High-Quality Images allow to inspect the sculpture a lot better, helping you determine the quality.
Second, it shows that the seller is confident of his sculpture.
Commission or Buy Ready-made?
The next biggest question for bronze sculptures buyers is whether to commission a new statue or buy ready-made.
To commission a sculpture means to order a bronze sculpture that’s built from the ground up exactly to your specifications. There is just one major problem with commissioning - it costs a lot more than buying ready-made ones.
Commissioning a bronze sculpture can actually cost anywhere between $10,000 to over $100,000 depending on your specifications.
You can easily find smaller bronze sculptures and figurines for under $3,000.
On the other side of the spectrum, 1:1 bronze statues of animals and life-size human replicas usually cost thousands of dollars, and the average ranges between $7,000 to $10,000. This range increases significantly as the design becomes more complicated.
The Size
As the size of a bronze sculpture increases so does the time, raw material, and labor required to create it. As a result, larger bronze sculptures cost more than smaller ones.
Note: Remember that this is more of a rule of thumb rather than an actual rule.
in various cases, smaller bronze sculptures can cost more than larger ones, including when they are commissioned or very intricate.
And buying a beautiful shiny bronze sculpture means that it needs to fit in well with its surroundings.
For example a sculpture that’s too small (relative to its surroundings) will not look impressive enough and one that’s too big can be the only catalyst in the sight.
The first step to determine the size requirements is to find the best place for your sculpture.
If it’s in the garden, for exemple, make sure there is no overhang (buildings or trees) that can block it.
If it’s inside the house, measure the height and width of the doors and alleyways to ensure the sculpture can actually reach its destination.
Considering the Proportions
Another way of identifying low-quality or hastily produced bronze sculptures is to pay attention to the proportions of the sculpture.
For instance, if the subject of the statue is a person, look at the neck, torso, legs, and hands.
Originals vs. Reproductions
Originals are bronze statues or sculptures that are the first of its kind (or design) and reproductions are replicas of those original statues and sculptures.
But here’s the important part - owning a reproduction is not a bad thing.
In fact, it’s generally the norm since some originals can easily cost upwards of $100,000.
What is bad however is owning a badly reproduced bronze statue or one that’s of low quality.
Since the 1968 Regulation governing bronze Sculpture, copied 8 times only, with an additional 4 artist's copies, all retaining the label 'original work'.
The Design and the Level of Detail
If you’ve ever looked close at a high-quality bronze sculpture, you know the level of detail it can achieve such as patterns in clothes and birthmarks.
However, all of this detail comes at a cost. Intricate bronze statues with a lot of detail average between $5,000 and $10,000 and will often cross the $15,000 mark.
The Style of the Sculpture
A bronze statue or sculpture is an important piece of the decor that speaks volumes of your tastes, preferences, and interests - so you must choose a style accordingly.
Of course, in the end, you should buy one that you enjoy looking at.
Determining The Quality
A bronze statue is a piece that will be a part of your decor for years (if not for decades or centuries) so it’s important that it is made out of high-quality metals, copper for example that stand the test of time because that well-built bronze sculptures will last you a lifetime , thus representing a good investment also - others won’t.
Looking at the Intricate Parts
It’s much harder to get the small or more detailed parts of a bronze statue right when casting it.
Areas like the face, toes, or hands are a great place to identify the quality and level of finish.
Ideally, you’re looking for a shiny surface, with no holes (where they shouldn’t be), and a smooth texture.
Focussing on the Patina
Flat or grey patinas are often a characteristic of low-quality casting.
A high-quality bronze statue will have a rich, shiny, brown patina that’s uniform throughout the statue.
Thick patinas are often used to hide the low-quality casting as well.
The Casting Technique
Many foundries will often cut corners, especially in ready-made sculptures in order to bring the final price down. However, this isn’t ideal for the buyer.
First-time buyers, in particular, will often have a hard time distinguishing from cheaply made bronze statues due to lack of expert casting knowledge.
The best is the ancient casting technique called the “Lost Wax Process” that results in life-like detail and beautiful patinas.
How much does a bronze statue actually cost?
Well, most bronze statues cost anywhere between a few thousand dollars for smaller sculptures and well over tens of thousands for larger and more intricate ones.
The main reason behind this wide price range is that bronze sculptures are complex and there are many factors that determine the price of an individual sculpture.
Where to Find Quality Bronze Statues for Sale?
Bronze statues can be found everywhere on the internet, however, out of the hundred places you can find these statues, there’s only a few you should actually buy them from: Reputed Sites.
For exemple a low-quality picture shouldn’t be a deal-breaker if the buyer is from a reputed site.
Anyway, High-Quality Images allow to inspect the sculpture a lot better, helping you determine the quality.
Second, it shows that the seller is confident of his sculpture.
Commission or Buy Ready-made?
The next biggest question for bronze sculptures buyers is whether to commission a new statue or buy ready-made.
To commission a sculpture means to order a bronze sculpture that’s built from the ground up exactly to your specifications. There is just one major problem with commissioning - it costs a lot more than buying ready-made ones.
Commissioning a bronze sculpture can actually cost anywhere between $10,000 to over $100,000 depending on your specifications.
You can easily find smaller bronze sculptures and figurines for under $3,000.
On the other side of the spectrum, 1:1 bronze statues of animals and life-size human replicas usually cost thousands of dollars, and the average ranges between $7,000 to $10,000. This range increases significantly as the design becomes more complicated.
The Size
As the size of a bronze sculpture increases so does the time, raw material, and labor required to create it. As a result, larger bronze sculptures cost more than smaller ones.
Note: Remember that this is more of a rule of thumb rather than an actual rule.
in various cases, smaller bronze sculptures can cost more than larger ones, including when they are commissioned or very intricate.
And buying a beautiful shiny bronze sculpture means that it needs to fit in well with its surroundings.
For example a sculpture that’s too small (relative to its surroundings) will not look impressive enough and one that’s too big can be the only catalyst in the sight.
The first step to determine the size requirements is to find the best place for your sculpture.
If it’s in the garden, for exemple, make sure there is no overhang (buildings or trees) that can block it.
If it’s inside the house, measure the height and width of the doors and alleyways to ensure the sculpture can actually reach its destination.
Considering the Proportions
Another way of identifying low-quality or hastily produced bronze sculptures is to pay attention to the proportions of the sculpture.
For instance, if the subject of the statue is a person, look at the neck, torso, legs, and hands.
Originals vs. Reproductions
Originals are bronze statues or sculptures that are the first of its kind (or design) and reproductions are replicas of those original statues and sculptures.
But here’s the important part - owning a reproduction is not a bad thing.
In fact, it’s generally the norm since some originals can easily cost upwards of $100,000.
What is bad however is owning a badly reproduced bronze statue or one that’s of low quality.
Since the 1968 Regulation governing bronze Sculpture, copied 8 times only, with an additional 4 artist's copies, all retaining the label 'original work'.
The Design and the Level of Detail
If you’ve ever looked close at a high-quality bronze sculpture, you know the level of detail it can achieve such as patterns in clothes and birthmarks.
However, all of this detail comes at a cost. Intricate bronze statues with a lot of detail average between $5,000 and $10,000 and will often cross the $15,000 mark.
The Style of the Sculpture
A bronze statue or sculpture is an important piece of the decor that speaks volumes of your tastes, preferences, and interests - so you must choose a style accordingly.
Of course, in the end, you should buy one that you enjoy looking at.
Determining The Quality
A bronze statue is a piece that will be a part of your decor for years (if not for decades or centuries) so it’s important that it is made out of high-quality metals, copper for example that stand the test of time because that well-built bronze sculptures will last you a lifetime , thus representing a good investment also - others won’t.
Looking at the Intricate Parts
It’s much harder to get the small or more detailed parts of a bronze statue right when casting it.
Areas like the face, toes, or hands are a great place to identify the quality and level of finish.
Ideally, you’re looking for a shiny surface, with no holes (where they shouldn’t be), and a smooth texture.
Focussing on the Patina
Flat or grey patinas are often a characteristic of low-quality casting.
A high-quality bronze statue will have a rich, shiny, brown patina that’s uniform throughout the statue.
Thick patinas are often used to hide the low-quality casting as well.
The Casting Technique
Many foundries will often cut corners, especially in ready-made sculptures in order to bring the final price down. However, this isn’t ideal for the buyer.
First-time buyers, in particular, will often have a hard time distinguishing from cheaply made bronze statues due to lack of expert casting knowledge.
The best is the ancient casting technique called the “Lost Wax Process” that results in life-like detail and beautiful patinas.