How do I protect a outdoor bronze sculpture?

[sculpturecollector]

Any recommendations on protecting an outdoor bronze statue?

[Admin]

When bronze statuary (http://www.allsculptures.com)is left outdoors for a long period of time, it will start to develop a scaly green, olive, red, or brown coating. This coating is called a patina, and is generally desirable on bronze items. The patina helps show the age of the item and can make fine relief easier to see, and usually increases the item's value. However, patina is a matter of personal taste.

If you do not want your bronze to discolor, there are a variety of varnishes and coatings which you can use to protect it from the elements. For instance, you can use a wax-based product over a varnish or shellac, since wax can be easily and cleanly removed if you decide to do so in the future. Iron metal sculptures can be protected with plain paraffin wax (available in the canning section of the grocery store), and there are a variety of wax-based furniture sprays and polishes that you could probably use with the same effect,(although these are designed to enhance gloss also, which you may or may not want to do). Another alternative is a paste automotive wax (Turtle Wax), which will last the longest, but it takes some work to apply and will also increase the luster of your statuary (http://www.allsculptures.com).