Custom Marble Sculptures

13 Aug.,2024

 

Custom Marble Sculptures

Ancient Sculpture Gallery specializes in creating custom sculptures and busts in marble. We can create from scratch a marble reproduction of your favorite museum sculpture, or a marble bust of yourself or somebody you love. We frequently have requests from our customers for custom marble portraits or sculptures. If there is a custom marble sculpture that you would like to commission, please send us pictures or links and we will provide you with a free quote of how long it will take a how much it will cost. Payment is required in order to start the process of creating a marble sculpture. We work directly on the marble block in creating a custom marble sculpture. It typically takes 1-3 months for completion and delivery of a custom marble, and in case of very complex sculptures it may take more time. We will be able to give you more details once we see your request. We will keep you informed with multiple sets of pictures as we sculpt your artwork. Here are few examples of custom marble works we have created for our customers over the years:

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Jinkui Stone.

Athena Minerva Giustiniani museum statue custom marble reproduction

Athena was an ancient Greek goddess of war. Her Roman equivalent was Minerva. Athena Giustiniani or Giustiniani Minerva is a famous Roman marble copy of an older Greek statue of Pallas Athena of the late 5th-early 4th century BC, now in the Vatican Museums. Customer wanted a Custom Marble reproduction of the original museum Athena Minerva Giustiniani statue. The below sequence of images shows the original museum statue of Athena and the process of recreating its reproduction in white marble:

&#;Athena Giustiniani&#; by Tetraktys licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license Sculpting of clay model in proportion to the museum original Completed Athena Minerva Giustiniani marble sculpture

Persephone (Isis), Cerberus, and Pluto (Serapis) custom marble statues

Customer wanted reproduction made of the ancient Roman statues of Persephone (as Isis), Cerberus, and Pluto (as Serapis), now at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion in Crete. These gods were worshiped in the Hellenistic period and onward into Roman time. Pluto/Serapis has the modes on his head, a utensil used for the measurement of grain. Persephone/Isis with covered head, bears her symbols at the forehead (the crescent moon, the solar disk and the snake (uraeus). She is depicted holding in her right hand the sistrum, an Egyptian musical instrument. The inclusion of Cerberus, guard of the underworld, in the group defines the two deities, despite their Egyptian symbols, as Pluto and Persephone, gods of the underworld. The group is a typical example of syncretism during Hellenistic and Roman times. We recreated the statues in 14' tall height in white marble, and then gave it an ancient patina.

Ancient Roman statues of Persephone (Isis), Cerberus, and Pluto (Serapis) at the Archaeological Musemu of Heraklion in crete Custom carved reproductions in white marble of the group of statues of Persephone (Isis), Cerberus, and Pluto (Serapis) Ancient patina applied to the custom marble statues to resemble the museum originals. The middle bust is a replica of the famous Veiled Maiden by Raphael Monti carved of white marble.

Nike of Samothrace reduction from the original custom marble reproduction

The famous Winged Nike of Samothrace statue is a showpiece of the Louvre Museum in Paris. The Nike of Samothrace, also called the Victory of Samothrace, is a marble Hellenistic sculpture of the goddess of victory that was created in about the 2nd century BC. Since , it has been prominently displayed at the Louvre and is one of the most celebrated sculptures in the world. The sculpture is one of a small number of major Hellenistic statues surviving in the original, rather than Roman copies. The original is 2.2 meters tall and we had a request from our customer to sculpt it in 1.8 meters tall size.

Font view of the original and custom replica marble statues of John Howard Side view of the original and custom replica marble statues of John Howard

Shepherd Boy by Bertel Thorvaldsen (-) custom marble relief sculpture

Bertel Thorvaldsen sculpted his marble sculpture &#;Shepherd Boy&#; in -. It is 58.25&#; tall (148 cm) and today resides at the Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark. It recalls a parallel between the famous ancient sculpture of the Sleeping Faun in Munich, and the mythological shepherd boy Ganymede. We carved this sculpture out of single block of white marble in a reduced size 18&#; tall (45.7 cm).

Fisher Boy by Hiram Powers (-) custom marble statue

Hiram Powers (-) was a American neoclassical sculptor and one of the first 19th-century American artists to gain an international reputation. His &#;Fisher Boy&#; was carved in in Florence, Italy and was also referred to as &#;a kind of Appollino&#; after the god Apollo. The original statue is 57.5&#; tall (146 cm) and we were asked to crate a reduction of it in size 18&#; tall (45.7 cm).

Side view of the original and custom replica marble statues of John Howard

Night by Bertel Thorvaldsen (-) custom marble relief reproduction

The famous Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen created his classically inspired marble reliefs &#;Night&#; and &#;Day&#; in and . He spent 40 years of his life in Italy and was greatly influenced by the ancient sculptures he saw in Rome. Our customer wanted this relief custom made on a rectangular marble block with raided border and we sculpt it in the requested size 40&#; x 24&#; (101.6 cm x 61 cm)

Modern Sculpture of a Drain

We can create any other custom shapes according to your specifications. Here is a modern sculpture of a drain and our completed reproduction in cast stone with marble finish. The original metal sculpture is pictured to the left while our custom sculpted reproductions in yellow and red marble patinas are on the right.

Side view of the original and custom replica marble statues of John Howard

Family Crest Symbols and Coat of Arms marble relief sculpture reproductions

A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement which in its whole consists of: shield, supporters, crest, and motto. A coat of arms is traditionally unique to an individual person, family, state, organization or corporation. Here are two examples of custom reproductions we have completed of marble family crests from pictures provided by customers. In the second example, since the customer&#;s picture was incomplete, we fist drew the missing parts of the marble crest. After approval from the customer the final marble family crest reproduction was sculpted. If you would like to have your family crest or country coat of arms carved in marble, feel free to contact us.


Custom marble family crest from 3D model file and a custom oil painting

If you a have a good quality 3D model of an object, we can recreate it for you in marble. Customer requested a marble sculpture of family crest from a 3D model file that had already been created. This task was successfully completed and in addition we also had an oil painting custom made of the same family crest per customer&#;s request. For more on our custom oil painting please visit this link.


Custom Marble Busts from Photographs

The below pictures show two example custom busts that we have sculpted out of white marble blocks. All we need are photographs to create your custom marble bust in your choice of marble color. A clay model is sculpted first and then after customer approved it the final creation of the same in white marble is completed. To see more examples of custom marble works please visit our custom busts page where several custom marble busts are displayed.


Custom-made marble busts of husband and wife with base functioning as urn

These two custom busts of a husband and wife are particularly unique and different. Their cube bases are purposely made hollow for future placement of final ashes or small contents valuable to the owners, functioning as urn. The top portion of the bust can be lifted, revealing the opening of the base below. When the contents are placed inside, the base can be closed by covering it with the bust above. We engraved the two busts with custom text as requested by the customer.

Custom marble bust from a single 18th century Oil Painting

This custom marble bust was sculpted from only one picture. The customer only had a picture of single oil painting from the 18th century. Usually, customers can provide multiple pictures when they request custom bust, however, this case was unique since there was in existence only one oil painting that the customer could provide. Nonetheless we were able to capture the likeness of the gentlemen in the painting and the result is a success.

Custom bust of grandfather in beige marble

Customer desired to create a custom bust of his grandfather and specifically requested it to be carved out of beige marble. The bust is life-size and the old man is depicted in his shirt and suspenders, just like in the provided pictures. In addition, the glasses are also retained along with the facial expression.


Custom Marble Fireplace Mantels

We can create out of marble custom fireplace mantels in your choice of design and color. The picture below is an example of one such commission. If you have an vision for you custom marble mantel just send us your dimensions, drawings or pictures and we can sculpt it for you. It can be your unique design blending classical and/or modern parallels, or a replica of an existing mantel from one of the many European castles.

Custom Marble Pedestals and Columns

If you would like a custom-made pedestal for your home or garden statue made in solid marble, you may let us know how you would like it to look like and in what size. The example below is a replica of our Rectangular Panel Pedestal Item No. F452, custom made from white marble in the specific size requested by our customer.

Your Choices of Marble for Your Custom Sculpture

You have several different marble color choices for your sculpture and you can choose from these most popular marble colors: White Marble, Yellow Marble, or Black Marble. Below are several examples for each one of these options. Just let us know which type of marble you prefer and we will create your custom sculpture in the color of your choice.

White marble example Yellow marble example Black marble example

If you have a custom marble sculpture project feel free to ask any questions you may have. We will be happy to present you with a free quote of how much it would cost to make your custom marble sculpture.

How to Commission a Marble Sculpture - HEMPEL

An Ancient Tradition

The artist at the carving studio in Pietrasanta, Italy

In a world where we have everything at the tip of our fingers&#; on-demand movies, Amazon one-click buy now, door dash, streaming music&#; commissioning a marble sculpture can seem like moving a mountain. In a way, it is!

For more custom marble animal sculptureinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

The work at Hempel Studios is a part of a thousands-year-old tradition. The Pantheon in Rome is made from marble from the very same quarries we are using today. Just like Rome wasn&#;t built in a day, a marble sculpture takes time.

A marble sculpture is an original work of art, made by human hands that will last for millennia. The quality of the work depends on careful planning and tremendous patience. How does a work of marble sculpture come to be?

To Begin: The Consultation

First, consider what you are expressing by having a marble sculpture commissioned. Is to to remember a person? Celebrate a venerable saint? Express your passion for mythology, history, or equestrian life? What is your vision? In the initial consultation, the artist and client exchange ideas and determine whether or not they are a good fit. Sculpture is a creative expression, but it is also bound by the laws of physics and economics.

The Initial Design

The first step is to design the work at a small scale in clay. This is a collaborative process and changes can easily be made at this size. Once the design is approved, the artist develops a plan with a working budget. The cost is be determined by composition, scale, complexity, material, and timeline.  A signed contract and a deposit commences the work.

Sculpting in Clay

Sarah uses wooden tools to sculpt the details of a larger-than-life-size sculpture.

The first thing is to build an armature in metal, foam, and wood that acts as a skeleton to support the clay. Then the sculptor covers the armature with an oil-based clay called plastilina. It never dries out and cannot be placed in a kiln. She articulates every detail of the sculpture using her fingers and modeling tools. Every inch of the surface is touched by the artist&#;s hands. Sculpting a large work can take the better part of a year. Once the sculpture is finished in clay, it can weigh close to 1,000 pounds! Once the clay sculpture is approved, it&#;s time for casting.

Mold-Making and Casting

Next, a casting crew makes a mold. They coat the entire sculpture in liquid rubber in order to make a negative impression. Then the clay is removed. Plaster is poured into the hollow mold. Once it cures, we have an exact copy of the original sculpture! This is called the carver&#;s model. This part of the process generally takes a 2-3 weeks.

Marble

There is simply no more beautiful material for sculpture than Carrara marble. Marble has almost magical qualities and appears to radiate light from within. It can withstand the elements, though is somewhat more fragile than bronze.  Marble is fairly low maintenance. All over Europe there are marble sculptures that have been standing for centuries. It is among the most time-consuming to sculpt, but it has no equal.

Off to Italy&#;

The plaster carver&#;s model is then shipped to the carving studio in Pietrasanta, Italy. This takes 2-3 weeks. (There may still be COVID delays at the shipyard.)

Selecting the Marble

While the carving crew waits for the carver&#;s model to arrive, they will carefully select a piece of statuariomarble from the Carrara Mountains. Artists have been sourcing marble from Carrara for thousands of years. In fact, Michelangelo used this very marble for the Tomb of Lorenzo d&#;Medici! It&#;s still the preferred material for the finest statuary.

Italian marble quarry, photo by Gianluigi Marin

Carving the Stone

Once the studio receives the carver&#;s model, they will carve the marble using both traditional tools as well as pneumatic hammers and grinders. They use a pointing machine, or macchinetta di punta, which is not really a machine at all, but rather a measuring device to copy the carver&#;s model into stone. Using a macchinetta di punta is the traditional manner of carving a sculpture from a carver&#;s model. When the sculpture is nearly complete, the artist will arrive at the studio to carve the final details herself.

The carving process takes 6-12 months, depending on scale and complexity.

The image shows a master carver from Pietrasanta with both the plaster carver&#;s model as well as the in process marble sculpture. Notice how St. Joseph&#;s hands are still surrounded in stone.

Crating and Shipping the Marble

A professional crating team builds a wooden crate for the final marble sculpture. It is loaded into a shipping container and sent by sea from Italy to the harbor nearest to the site. Once the crate reaches the harbor, it will go through the customs office. Crating, shipping, and customs inspections can take 4-5 weeks.

Delivery and Installation of the Marble

After it has passed inspections and cleared customs, a sculpture rigging outfit will pick up the crate from the port and transport it to the final site. The artist meets the installation crew and the client at the site. Using equipment such as a crane and forklift, the rigging crew will place and secure the sculpture. The installation generally takes 2-3 days.

Are you ready to commission a one-of-a-kind work of art?

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