A type of bronze casting that dates from ancient times is cast bronze sculpture, in which a sculptor uses bronze to represent one or more people, animals or objects. Some styles of bronze sculpture emphasize life-like detail and accuracy in their portrayal. Others distort or stylize their subjects for artistic effect, or even produce entirely abstract forms. This type of cast bronze artwork is often highly advanced. The most elaborate bronzes include multiple life-sized figures of humans and animals, often portrayed in a moment of action.
Bronze can be cast into pieces of jewelry, including rings, bracelets, brooches, charms and pendants. Smaller casting projects, like rings and necklace charms, require finer work but may also be more accessible to beginners or hobbyists who do not have the experience or equipment to handle large quantities of molten bronze. When casting bronze jewelry, think about what kinds of jewelry you could create in one piece, such as a brooch, rather than linked chains or moving parts, which are often better for forging or welding projects.
Bronze can also be used to create decorative household goods. The green patina that naturally develops on bronze can be very aesthetically pleasing. It adds visual complexity and depth of texture to bronze surfaces. Because of the patina, however, bronze should not be used to serve food directly. Bronze vases, bowls and platters can make beautiful conversation pieces and decorative highlights. Casting mostly hollow forms like vases can be difficult, so beginners would do well to practice on plates and bowls before moving on to more advanced hollow projects.
Ingots are prism-shaped metal bars of a regular shape, often stamped with information about their manufacturer, content or purity. They are generally used to make storage or further processing of the metal more convenient, though some ingots are quite beautiful in their own right. If you have a lot of irregular scrap bronze, consider acquiring an ingot mold, melting the spare bronze down and casting it as ingots. This will make it simpler to store, transport and re-cast in the future.