An alloy of copper and tin, harder and more suitable for
casting than copper; the qualities of an ancient b. are
enhanced by the patma which develops on it. From early
times the virtues of the metal were realized and both
the Greek and the Chinese sculptors achieved a standard
that has never been excelled. With the fall of the Roman
empire the secret of the casting of figures (cire perdue) was largely lost but was
revived at the Renaissance when working reached a new
peak. Fine b.s have been found at the African centres of Benm and Ife.
A large bronze cast medallion, some 9.5 by 8.7
centimetres in measurement,
created by the celebrated medalist Valerio Belli in the
sixteenth century.
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