1904 Spelter Ansonia Clock Statue - refinish or leave as is?

[firehorse]

Hello, I recently purchased a 1904 Ansonia spelter clock statue (statue name 'Reflection' number 1000) off ebay.  I knew at the time of the purchase that the statue had been sprayed with black, shiny laquer sometime in its life and also that the end piece of her dress has broken off.  The black paint was applied so thickly that it was distorting the details of her face and other parts and it was also chipping off in parts exposing the bare spelter underneath.  

I decided to strip off the black paint and now it is all bare spelter.  Cleaned up, the details are now clearer and I am happy with that.  I had initially hoped to also have her refinished in her original Japanese bronze finish, but am reluctant to spray her in any bronze paint in case it makes her look 'flat' or spoils the details again.  I would appreciate to know if there is any way to refinish the spelter, through paint, or possibly waxes or chemicals to give her a warmer bronze finish.  If I decide to keep her as bare spelter, is there anything that I can apply to keep the finish looking its optimum?  

Any advice would be appreciated whether I should refinish her somehow or if I should leave her in her present state.  I've enclosed pictures of her (first 2 images) with the black laquer paint now removed and as she looks now in bare spelter in the last 2 images.  The colour of her you see in these images is how she looks in natural light.  

Any help or advice as to whether I should refinish her or leave her as she is would be greatly appreciated!  

Thanks!  

[icedgold10]

She looks great in the bare spelter! I would leave her be unless you need her to be otherwise to fit in with something else.

[bigwull]

First of all may i congratulate you on a good job of bring this figure back to life,...I too have a similar figure...Which I found in my garden whilst digging...but mines is still covered in the remains of black paint...
Now this figure of yours....if you want a patina ...there are ways to accelerate..the aging process...without the use of spray paints...i9f you want an aged look..i.e. with verdi gris....then you can either ....piss on it....literally..th en leave it outside and the alkaline in rain coupled with the ammonia in the waste water...will accelerate the aging process.or you can brush flux into the creases ,joints ...and this too will create verdi gris...or you can use bronze paste....see link then scroll down to  bronze paste
http://www.artmaterials.com.au/?cPath=200_1635.

[icedgold10]

Now your gonna get him in trouble standing outside aging it with bodily functions.  Can see the cops being called now. haha

[mart]

Getting that look of old aged bronze would be difficult !! Since the value is considerably less with part of it broken,, I would leave her alone as is !! I think it looks fine !!

[bigwull]

i,m not known as a piss artist for nothing ya know....

[firehorse]

Thank you all so much for your replies!  I really appreciate it!  I actually used Aircraft paint stripper on her which you neutralize with water, as scary as that may sound, and then with a bit of 'elbow grease', I used Q-tips and a soft toothbrush to clean between the crevaces and to get all the surplus residue off of her.  I was really sitting on the fence whether to do anything further.  She does look 'bronze' in some light and so I think I will take your suggestions and keep her as she is, also keeping in mind that she's lost the end of her dress in her travels.

Bigwull, thanks for your suggestions for different treatments too, including the bodily function one!  I don't think I'll try that one though!  hee! 

Do I have to do anything to the bare spelter over time to keep it looking nice or do I just leave her untreated. 

Again, thanks for your responses, it really has helped! 


 

[bigwull]

If you want a nice patina....just look through this lot....for natural patina..it will depend on from what kind of spelter ..the figure is made of...some spelter has copper in it,whilst other spelter may have none,....but look here...

https://www.google.co.uk/search?newwindow=1&site=&source=hp&q=patination+of+bronze&oq=patination&gs_l=hp.1.5.0l10.2077.7403.0.16023.10.10.0.0.0.0.559.2505.2j2j3j2j0j1.10.0....0...1c.1.29.hp..2.8.1760.syAEAnAXZv0

[firehorse]

Hi bigwull, Thanks for sending the link to patinas.  I will take a look through them.  I was also interested and looked into the bronze paste that you had mentioned in your previous message.  I'd never heard of that, but it looks interesting.  I'll have to see if they sell it up here in Canada. 

I had previously read about Liver of Sulfer and wondered if it could be used on spelter to create a bronze effect also or if it is only for certain other metals. 

I was amazed that you found a statue like mine while digging in your garden!  What a great find!  I hope that you are able to refinish it some day and bring it back to its former glory! 

Thanks for all your help!!