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Wedgwood Museum Original Bronze Sculpture: Large Seated Boy by Jonathan Sanders

Wedgwood Museum Original Bronze Sculpture: Large Seated Boy by Jonathan Sanders

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Size in cm: 6w x 14h x 9d cm
Size in inches: 2½"w x 5½"h x 3½"d
Weight: 860g / 1lb 14oz

Edition: 250
Material: Foundry Cast Bronze

Large Seated Boy is hand cast by Nelson & Forbes in a British foundry, in an edition of just 250 castings.

Depicting a boy sitting on a stool and reading a book, the sculpture is presented in a high quality English hand made gift box and is accompanied by a numbered booklet of information, signed by the artist, Jonathan Sanders. The booklet is your guarantee that this is an original foundry casting of Jonathan Sanders's work that he has personally approved.

Jonathan Sanders was invited by The Wedgwood Museum to create a range of contemporary bronze sculpture, inspired by its collections.

The Wedgwood Museum Collection is a unique record of the history of the Wedgwood company and of high quality British manufacturing. It includes a large range of manuscripts, correspondence, factory equipment, trials and original models as well as fine art by the likes of George Stubbs and Joshua Reynolds and, of course, ceramics. The basis of the collection can be traced back to the founder, Josiah Wedgwood I, who, conscious of the experimental nature of the work he was undertaking, kept his trials and experiments for posterity.

When Jonathan Sanders visited the museum, he says that he was ‘Utterly bowled over by the quality and beauty of so much of the collection, which represents the best in English design and production over the past 250 years’.

He was particularly entranced by the Domestic Employment series of Jasperware, depicting young children going about their day to day life, typically engaged in ‘domestic employment’. The depictions are a beautiful and some might say a slightly romantic view of how ordinary children experienced life in the 1780s, from the point of view of the aristocrat, Lady Elizabeth Templetown.

“I couldn’t help but compare those scenes with the lives of my own children”, he says, “and was inspired to sculpt a collection of pieces of them going about their every day life today.”

The resulting pieces are a depiction, by a contemporary artist, of the domestic life of today’s English child and Nelson & Forbes are proud to have the opportunity to produce them by hand in Britain, just as Wedgwood have done for many generations.

This bronze casting is a perfect recreation of Jonathan Sanders's original sculpture and took two weeks to create. It bears the artist's signature and its own unique edition number. As every piece is cast by hand, each one is an original and so will be very slightly different to the last.

‘The Wedgwood Museum’ is a trade mark belonging to the Wedgwood Museum Trust Limited.

Jonathan Sanders Biography Photo Jonathan Sanders was born in 1959, and completed a degree in Fine Art at North Staffordshire University in the early 1970's.

While Jonathan was training, his talent for sculpting was immediately spotted, but he chose at that time to follow a career as a painter and his work quickly became sought after by collectors.

His work is so highly regarded that he undertook several notable commissions at that time including the cover for the South African band Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s album ‘In Harmony’ and a personal portrait of Nelson Mandela.

His original paintings are sought after and held in collections worldwide and his prints reach a wide audience both as limited editions in galleries and open editions sold in Next and Ikea.

As he painted, inspired by the landscape, wildlife, people around him and native African art, he gradually found that these same influences were also inspiring him to revisit his passion for sculpting.

Jonathan began to experiment with clay and wax, gradually developing a unique way of capturing the mood and weight of the animals he spent so long studying in East Africa.

"I find working in the three dimensional form truly fascinating," he says. "The pose has to have an element of drama. Then comes the anatomy of the subject which has to be accurate, but not to the point of compromising the movement and presence of the piece."

Jonathan initially cast several of his wildlife sculptures in bronze resin, but when asked what it means to see his work cast in solid bronze, he explains:

"The Bronze reveals all the manipulation of the original material. Its patina has a depth of colour that absorbs and reflects light. Pick the piece up and it feels heavy in the hand. A tactile, permanent piece of work that truly reveals the qualities of the artist’s hand."

His first limited edition bronze sculptures sold out swiftly and he is currently working on new pieces in his studio in Bath, where he lives with his wife and children.

Jonathan says, "Working in three dimensions has challenged me to look at my paintings differently and experiment with new techniques."

Creation of your bronze sculpture

Every time we cast a piece, a new mould is created and subsequently destroyed. This means that every single piece of sculpture bought from us is entirely hand made and utterly unique, which is why it is numbered by hand to tell you which casting of the edition you have bought.

1. Mould Making

A silicone rubber mould is made of the original art work. Absolutely every detail captured or missed by this mould will be reproduced in the bronze castings. Depending on the size of the mould, it may then be cut into sections for casting.

This is the master mould used to originate all castings of that piece. Each time that piece is ordered, we follow the following procedure:

2. Making the Wax Casting

Molten wax is poured into the rubber to create an exact wax duplicate of the original model.

3. Chasing the Wax

The wax is removed from the rubber mould any flaws are hand finished by a skilled craftsman.

4. Spruing

Wax rods and a wax pouring cup are carefully attached to the wax casting in just the right positions to allow bronze to be poured in any displaced air to escape. This means that no air bubbles are trapped inside the mould as they would be gaps in the finished bronze piece.

5. Investment

The wax model with attached rods is now covered in ceramic material which will form the mould for the final bronze pour. This is done by dipping the wax model carefully into investment liquid and then covering it in a fine powder before allowing it to cure (completely dry). The model is then dipped into investment liquid again and given a coating of a coarse ceramic powder. By following this procedure several times, a ceramic shell is built up around the wax model.

6. Burn-Out

The wax inside the ceramic shell is then placed in a kiln and fired. The shell bakes and the wax is melted (lost) from the shell. This creates a hollow ceramic shell mould and accounts for the term "Lost Wax" being applied to the process.

7. Casting

The ceramic mould is removed from the kiln and molten bronze is immediately poured into it, at 1200°C.

8. Break Out

Once the casting has been allowed to cool for several hours, the mould is carefully removed by hand from the bronze model inside.

9. Sandblasting

Any fragments of the ceramic shell are removed by sandblasting and the sculpture is carefully inspected at this point.

10. Assembly

All attached rods and cups (which are now bronze) are removed by hand. At this point, any segments of a large sculpture that has been cast in sections are welded together.

11.Chasing

All the weld marks and removed and rod marks are chased and re-detailed by hand. Any scars left by the rods are carefully blended to match the rest of the sculpture’s surface as intended by the artist.

12. Polishing

The bronze is hand polished in preparation for the patina.

13. Patination

The bronze is first heated before the chemical patina is applied by an artist. A patina can achieve many different colours or effects depending on the mix of chemicals used.

14. Waxing

Finally a wax coating is hand applied before the piece is polished to ensure a beautiful lustrous patina.

15. Numbering

Finally, the piece is numbered by hand. It is numbered as the casting number, followed by a slash and finally the edition size. For examples, 5/250 means that your piece was the fifth piece to be cast from the master mould out of 250 castings made. The piece also bears the signature of the artist. Jonathan Sanders pieces are all marked with a JS or JRS.

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UK deliveries are shipped by DPD Local, who will send a one hour window to your mobile or email on the morning of delivery so you don’t have to wait around for your parcel.

We use a next working day service as standard (NI, Highlands and Islands take two working days). If you choose and pay for a Saturday or Sunday delivery when you check out (and order before 6am on a Friday), your order will arrive with you the first Saturday or Sunday after you place your order. If you order after 6am on Friday, your order will arrive one weekend later.

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Reviews

Customer Reviews 5 item(s)

Absolutely thrilled with the sculpture

Overall Satisfaction

The parcel arrived perfectly on 31 July as you had indicated but remained unopened until last weekend as the recipient was unexpectedly away from home from mid-July. I just wanted to let you know that he is absolutely thrilled with the sculpture. It has pride of place currently on his desk so job very well done team!
Many thanks again.
Review by Mrs. A.W. / (Posted on 20/09/2021)

The first time I've ordered - won't be the last!

Overall Satisfaction

Dear Deborah,
I just wanted to let you know that my Large Seated Boy arrived safely yesterday afternoon, just two days after I made the order.
I'm absolutely thrilled with the sculpture. I can't believe how beautiful it is and the outstanding workmanship that has gone into the figure. It will take pride of place on the desk in my library. I also have to comment on the wonderful packaging - it was a pleasure to unwrap and see the lovely box with the figure inside.
This is the first time I've ordered from Nelson and Forbes, but it certainly won't be the last! One of the 'Girls Reading' is already calling to me - to go with my boy, as a pair.
Thanks again Deborah - and to everybody at Nelson and Forbes on the superb service provided. Review by Miss. L.B. / (Posted on 11/01/2021)

A wonderful acquisition

Overall Satisfaction

So pleased am I with my Small Seated Boy and Small Reading Boy, who are observing me from a bookcase, that when I received a small legacy from a favourite aunt I decided it would be good to have a Large Seated Boy. When he arrived, safe in his stylish packaging, I enjoyed examining him and admiring the superb quality of the sculpture. I wish my aunt could see him, as I'm sure he'd remind her of the teenage me, an avid reader. He's now sitting in front of me on my desk, gently rebuking me for staring at a screen when I should be sitting like he is, legs crossed and reading a real book. A wonderful acquisition to be treasured for the rest of my life. Review by Mr T. L. / (Posted on 30/10/2020)

Beautiful sculpture

Overall Satisfaction

Seated Boy sculpture was Birthday gift to my husband. My husband is big reader and this sculpture looks exactly like him when he is reading. This is beautiful piece of art, very unique gift that will last forever. It was beautifully packaged and arrived safe in just two days in US. When I need something special I will always turn to Nelson & Forbes. Review by Jana (USA) / (Posted on 26/04/2020)

Wonderful sculptures

Overall Satisfaction

I have today received my order of Large Seated Boy and Large Girl Reading Book. It was such a joy to open the beautifully packaged items with the lovely certificates of authenticity and the wonderful sculptures inside. I’m looking forward to giving the appropriate sculpture to my daughter and son for their birthday presents in September and November and am sure they will, also, appreciate the loving craftsmanship that has gone into the creation of them.
Thank you for your passion and dedication and giving us such pleasure, and also for the prompt and informative delivery. Review by S.S. / (Posted on 02/02/2017)