Animalier figures, Art Deco statues, busts and groups, cold-painted and Vienna bronzes, and signed sculpture. Each piece assessed for its metal, its casting quality, its marks and its surface.
A bronze is valued as sculpture, not scrap metal. Free insured postage. Written valuation per piece. Paid in 72 hours.
A bronze is bought as a piece of sculpture, and its value turns on things a specialist judges by eye and hand: the quality of the casting, the maker or foundry behind it, and the original surface it has kept. Two figures of the same subject can be worlds apart in worth — one a crisp period casting, the other a soft later reproduction or a spelter copy. Understanding a few key distinctions before you sell will help you know what you have.
Sculpture in bronze spans several collecting fields, each with its own market. We handle all of the following, from small decorative casts to substantial signed works.
Nineteenth-century and later studies of animals — horses, hounds, big cats, birds and farmyard subjects — a field with a long collecting tradition. Quality of modelling, a period casting and a good foundry mark are the main value drivers, with later recasts far more common than early examples.
Stylised dancers, athletes and decorative figures of the 1920s and 30s, often on marble or onyx bases and sometimes combined with carved ivory-era materials. Modelling, base condition and originality matter; reproductions of popular models are widespread and assessed accordingly.
Bronze busts, heads and portrait medallions, from classical subjects to named sitters. Casting quality, any foundry or artist marks, and the character of the patina are examined. Marble or bronze socles form part of the piece.
Finely detailed painted bronzes — animals, figures and orientalist subjects associated with the Vienna workshops. Original paint in good condition is essential to value; rubbing, flaking and later overpainting reduce a piece markedly.
Inkstands, candlesticks, tazze, mounted vases, clock garnitures and desk pieces in bronze and ormolu. Here design, gilding, mounts and condition drive value alongside any maker's mark.
Chinese, Japanese and other bronzes — censers, figures and vessels — form their own specialist field with distinct marks and patina. We assess these with due caution and careful, honest description where attribution or period cannot be certain.
Spelter is a zinc-based alloy used for inexpensive decorative casts, frequently finished to resemble bronze. Under a dark patina the two can look alike, but they behave very differently, and the difference has a large effect on value. The everyday indicators:
A magnet will not stick to either metal, so it does not tell them apart. Do not scratch or file a piece to test it — that causes damage. You do not need to be certain: we confirm the metal as part of every assessment, and value a good spelter piece honestly on its own terms.
Beyond the metal itself, several factors decide where a bronze sits in the market. The table below sets out what raises and lowers value within each.
| Factor | Raises value | Lowers value |
|---|---|---|
| Casting quality | Crisp, well-defined modelling; a fine early casting | Soft, blurred detail typical of a later recast |
| Maker & foundry | Recognised sculptor's signature with a period foundry mark | No marks, or a spurious signature on a reproduction |
| Patina & surface | Original, undisturbed patina or well-preserved cold paint | Polished, stripped, repainted or corroded surface |
| Originality | Period lifetime cast, original base and parts | Later cast, replaced base, missing accessories |
| Condition | Sound, complete, no significant repairs | Breaks, losses, amateur repairs, damaged base |
| Subject & size | Desirable subject, good scale, strong composition | Weak or common subject, minor decorative scale |
The recurring theme is originality of casting and surface. A period bronze with its untouched patina is worth far more than the same model recast later and polished bright. Because the best models were reproduced repeatedly, an honest assessment of whether a piece is an early casting or a later copy is often the single most important judgement — and one we make plainly.
Marks are where identification begins, not where it ends. A signature or seal is a claim to be tested against the piece itself, because names and marks were copied and later casts taken from admired originals. What we look at:
A confident signature on a soft, lightweight casting is a warning sign, not a guarantee. This is why we examine the whole object, and why clear photographs of the base and any marks are the most useful thing you can send us first.
We buy individual sculptures and whole collections alike — a single inherited figure, a mantelpiece garniture, or a lifetime's gathering of animalier and decorative bronzes. You do not need to identify or value anything yourself. Send an overview photograph of the group, with close-ups of any signatures and bases, and we will advise which pieces merit individual assessment and which are best valued together. There is no obligation to accept, and anything you decide not to sell is returned to you free.
All sides, the underside and base, and any signature or foundry mark in close-up. Email us first if you would like a preliminary view before posting.
Request a free prepaid, tracked and insured label. Wrap the piece and its base separately as advised. Cover to £5,000 begins when the courier scans the parcel.
Your parcel is opened publicly on YouTube. The bronze, its base and any marks are documented on camera before a specialist handles it.
Metal confirmed, casting and marks assessed, patina and condition graded. Written offer per bronze. Accept what you wish; we return the rest free. Paid in 72 hours or +3%.
Call us on 01234 815116 or email support@fairvintage.co.uk.
Get your free pack →They can look alike under a patina, but bronze is denser and heavier, warm brown where worn, and holds crisp detail. Spelter is lighter, usually shows silvery-grey metal beneath chips, and is brittle at thin sections. A magnet sticks to neither, so weight, worn colour and sharpness of detail are the guides. We confirm the metal in every assessment — you need not be certain first.
Not on its own. Many bronzes carry a cast signature and a foundry mark, but signatures were copied and popular models recast. A signature is a claim to be examined alongside casting quality, patina and the founder's mark — not proof by itself. We assess signed bronzes cautiously and use careful language where attribution cannot be certain.
A foundry mark is the stamp or seal of the workshop that cast the bronze, sometimes accompanied by an edition or cast number. A recognised foundry mark can support a period casting and add to value, because it points to where and roughly when a piece was made. Marks help identification but do not guarantee a lifetime cast or a particular hand, so they are read together with the casting quality and finish. Photograph the base and any marks clearly and we will tell you what they indicate.
No, please don't. The patina is part of the value, and polishing or abrasive cleaning can seriously reduce a piece; the same applies to the delicate paint on cold-painted bronzes. Dust with a soft dry brush at most and leave cleaning or restoration to a specialist. We prefer — and better value — an untouched surface.
Sometimes, but far less than period works. Popular animalier and Art Deco models have been recast many times, including recent reproductions in bronze and spelter, usually softer in detail and sometimes with a spurious signature. If a piece is a later cast or reproduction we say so and value it accordingly rather than leave a false impression.
They can. Cold-painted bronzes, including finely detailed Vienna animals and figures, are collected in their own right, and good original examples with well-preserved paint are sought after. Paint condition is critical — rubbing, flaking and later overpainting all reduce value. Send clear photographs of the paintwork and any marks.
Often yes. A fine period bronze with a repaired join, a missing accessory or a chipped base can still hold real value, because good sculpture is desirable even when imperfect. Losses and old repairs are noted and reflected honestly. Do not attempt repairs yourself — an amateur mend usually costs more value than the original fault.
Wrap the piece and its base separately in several layers of soft padding, immobilise projecting parts, and use a strong double-walled box with dense packing so nothing shifts. Never let a heavy bronze rest against a fragile base in transit. Email us a photo first for anything large, valuable or awkward and we will advise on packing.
Within 72 hours of your parcel going live on YouTube — guaranteed. If we miss that window, we add 3% to your total.
Metal confirmed, casting and marks assessed, patina graded. Written offer per piece. Opened live on YouTube. Paid within 72 hours.