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About

Since the fourth millennium BCE, bronze has been the preferred medium for some of the most prestigious and sacred works of art. But only through interdisciplinary research can the fabrication of these extraordinary objects be properly investigated, interpreted, and documented. This innovative publication bridges the expertise of myriad art-technological specialists to create a new framework for advancing the understanding of bronze sculpture.

Essential reading for curators, conservators, scientists, archaeologists, sculptors, metallurgists, founders, dealers, collectors, and anyone interested in the life cycle of a bronze, this volume explains how to identify the evidence of process steps, metals used, casting defects, and surface work and alterations before moving on to address analytical techniques ranging from visual exams to imaging, material analyses, and dating. The guidelines are accompanied by detailed illustrations, including videos, charts, and animations; a robust vocabulary, ensuring precision across English, German, French, Italian, and Chinese; a diverse selection of case studies; and a comprehensive bibliography.

Citation Information

Chicago

Bourgarit, David, Jane Bassett, Francesca G. Bewer, Arlen Heginbotham, Andrew Lacey, and Peta Motture. Guidelines for the Technical Examination of Bronze Sculpture. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2025. https:​/​/​www​.getty​.edu​/publications​/bronze​-guidelines​/.

MLA

Bourgarit, David, et al. Guidelines for the Technical Examination of Bronze Sculpture. J. Paul Getty Museum, 2025, https:​/​/​www​.getty​.edu​/publications​/bronze​-guidelines​/. Accessed DD Mon. YYYY.

Permanent URL

https:​/​/​www​.getty​.edu​/publications​/bronze​-guidelines​/

Revision History

Any revisions or corrections made to this publication after the first edition date will be listed here and in the project repository at https:​/​/​github​.com​/thegetty​/bronze​-guidelines, where a more detailed version history is available. The revisions branch of the project repository, when present, will show any changes currently under consideration but not yet published here.

February 11, 2025

  • First edition

Other Formats

Copyright

© 2025 J. Paul Getty Trust

The text of this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. All images are reproduced with the permission of the rights holders acknowledged in the captions or illustration credits and are expressly excluded from the CC BY-NC license covering the rest of the publication. These images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted, or manipulated without consent from the owners, who reserve all rights.
The text of this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. All images are reproduced with the permission of the rights holders acknowledged in the captions or illustration credits and are expressly excluded from the CC BY-NC license covering the rest of the publication. These images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted, or manipulated without consent from the owners, who reserve all rights.

Published by the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Getty Publications
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 500
Los Angeles, California 90049-1682
getty.edu/publications/

  • Ruth Evans Lane, Project Editor

  • Lindsey Westbrook, Manuscript Editor

  • Greg Albers, Digital Publications Manager

  • Kurt Hauser, Cover Design

  • Molly McGeehan, Production

  • Kelly Peyton, Nancy Rivera, and Leslie Rollins, Image and Rights Acquisition

  • Erin Cecele Dunigan and Dina Murokh, Digital Assistants

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  • Names: “Bourgarit, David, editor. | Bassett, Jane (Jane L.), editor. | Bewer, Francesca G. (Francesca Gabrielle), 1960– editor. | Heginbotham, Arlen, editor. | Lacey, Andrew, 1969– editor. | Motture, Peta, editor. | J. Paul Getty Museum, issuing body.”
  • Title: “Guidelines for the technical examination of bronze sculpture / edited by David Bourgarit, Jane Bassett, Francesca G. Bewer, Arlen Heginbotham, Andrew Lacey, and Peta Motture.”
  • Description: “First edition. | Los Angeles : J. Paul Getty Museum, 2025. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: “This illustrated volume offers a new framework for advancing the understanding of bronze sculpture, explaining how to identify the evidence of process steps, metals used, casting defects, and surface work and alterations before moving on to address analytical techniques ranging from visual exams to imaging, material analyses, and dating”— Provided by publisher.”
  • Identifiers: LCCN 2022055307 (print) | LCCN 2022055308 (ebook) | ISBN 9781606066904 (paperback) | ISBN 9781606066928 | ISBN 9781606067611 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781606066911 (epub)
  • Subjects: LCSH: Bronze sculpture—Technique. | Bronze Sculpture—Expertising. | Bronze founding. | Bronze—Analysis. | Sculpture materials—Analysis.
  • Classification: LCC NB1230 .G85 2023 (print) | LCC NB1230 (ebook) | DDC 731.4/56—dc23/eng/20230315
  • LC record available at https:​/​/​lccn​.loc​.gov​/2022055307
  • LC ebook record available at https:​/​/​lccn​.loc​.gov​/2022055308

Illustration Credits
Every effort has been made to contact the owners and photographers of illustrations reproduced here whose names do not appear in the captions or on the illustration credits page. Anyone having further information concerning copyright holders is asked to contact Getty Publications so this information can be included.

Cover: Bronze pour (still, video 18); X-radiograph of Venus déhanchée (fig. 65); Head of a Ruler (fig. 310)