History and Making

WELCOME TO VIENNA BRONZES

Thousands of cats in Viennese coffee shops, frogs at lakes
with water lilies, all our favorite pets, exotic cats, complete
oriental neighborhoods, elegant seductive ladies of the
Jugendstil, stylish vases and chandeliers-handicraft in masterly
perfection and quality.

Vienna Bronzes have been charming testimonies to the
passion of collecting Viennese tradition and culture of giving.

Vienna Bronzes have a long tradition.

Founded in 1850 Vienna Bronzes were a union of brass-founders, engravers and artisans.
As they emphasized on quality and details their spirit was rather to work ten days on one piece
than to produce ten pieces a day.

Nowadays Vienna Bronzes are produced for Mozart Trading® in the same trational
way. Each piece is made from an original Bermann or Gasper model
For more than 150 years artisians and artists have put all their efforts on giving you an idea
of the old historic Vienna with its kings, high society and sense of humour, satire and mockery.
Stylized cats, frogs and dogs which show little human weaknesses are Viennese specialities.

About The Making of Vienna Bronzes

Bronze is considered to be an alloy of copper and tin. Soft
copper is not ideal for casting but the addition of tin as an
alloy makes it more suitable. Especially during the period of
Romans copper-tin-alloys were often used for the casting of
small objects. During this time as well as in the antiqutiy small
solidly cast bronzes were produced in a fill up. Therefore molds
of wax including drains for air and cast iron were formed. The
molds were mostly arranged as cast trees in fill ups.

All that was covered with clay. The clay was dried and burnt. At
the same time the wax melted and created a hollow space which
was filled up with liquide bronze. After the cast iron and the cooling
the clay was destroyed and the core removed. After the removal of
all the drains the figurines were engraved by hammer and bunch
untill they got their shiny bronze surface.

After that follows the very costly and detailed painting by skilled
and well trained artists.

Please notice: since each figurine is hand made and
therefor unique, details may sligthly vary from
illustrations.