The Cauldron of Bran

" To restore the peace the Welsh King offered the greatest treasure of his kingdom, the Cauldron of Rebirth which had the power to bring the dead to life."

Bronze Sculpture by Charlie Mallon

The Inspiration

Cauldrons were both practical and ceremonial, they have been found by firesides and in graves, sometimes simple, sometimes ornate.  Stories of cauldrons with restorative powers are told in ancient Irish and Welsh texts. 

This work was inspired by the story of the Welsh King Bran who presented his treasured restorative cauldron to the Irish King as a wedding gift in an effort to make peace, a gift for which he paid the highest price.

Read the full story here: The Cauldron of Bran

The Process

Each sculpture has been created using the ancient lost wax method of bronze casting, also known as 'cire perdu'. It takes the best part of a year to bring a piece to life.
First of all, Charlie creates the work in clay. From this, he takes a mould which is used to create a wax version of the sculpture. He adds sprues, risers and pouring points to ensure that the bronze can flow fully around the piece. Layers of molochite are built up around the wax. When a suitable depth has been achieved Charlie heats the molochite shell to melt out the wax. The now hollow shell is placed in sand with just the pouring point visible. The sand holds it in place and also provides protection in case the shell breaks during the pour. Charlie heats the bronze to around 1200 degrees Celsius in a furnace he built himself. Before the hot work begins he rehearses all the movements, ‘the dance of the pour’. The molten bronze is poured into the shell and once cooled, the shell is smashed open to reveal the bronze sculpture. 

A unique patina is developed by burying the newly cast bronze in the iron rich soil by a spa well on the farm in County Tyrone. 

Each bronze sculpture is presented in wooden box with a handmade Irish linen bag. It has its edition number discreetly stamped on the base, and the details of each purchase are written into our Owner's Register.

Limited edition of 12

Cast No 03 - cast October 2017 - available

Dimensions H 65 x L 105 x W 105 mm

Weight: Unboxed 0.4kg