We often get visits at our exhibitions or enquiries on our website about broken or chipped sculptures.
Depending on the value of the original piece and the age of the sculpture we would advise repairing it or not. We often ask for photos to be sent to gauge this if you are unsure. Sometimes it can be a curio carving that was bought on vacation relatively cheap and has sentimental value, especially if it was a gift. You have to gauge whether you want to take your time repairing or fixing it, as it can sometimes be a lengthy process. Certainly earlier works should not be touched, if you know its provenance then it should remain with its scratches and cracks intact. This adds to its authenticity.
The worst thing to do is put oil on your sculpture. Your sculpture does not have oil on it, but wax which makes it shiny and glossy.
Indoor sculptures will only require dusting like any other ornament.
Outdoor pieces however lose their gloss after a few years if they’re polished and will need maintaining. If they are unpolished they can be left and just cleaned with a damp cloth. If they have the rough texture and have started growing lichen on this can be cleaned with a brush and soapy water, but be careful not get close to any polished parts as the brush could scratch that area. The same applies if birds have decided to take a liking to your sculpture – clean with a soft damp cloth if polished, or a brush if rough textured.
Rewaxing
Rewaxing a sculpture is fairly easy, you just need a hot day! The Zimbabwean carvers use a special wax called Cobra, which is a furniture or floor wax for wood. This can be substituted for beeswax or any furniture wax that has no artificial colour or chemical.
The heat, whether from the sun or an artifical source (professional sculptors use hand-held blow-torches) expands the pores of the stone to the point of the stone feeling warm to touch. At this point, with your finger-tips, apply a thin layer of the wax in circular motions over the area which needs it most – massage your sculpture! You will see that the wax melts into the stone depending how warm the stone has become in the sun, otherwise it will just absorb into the stone slowly. Leave it absorbing until the sun has gone and the stone has cooled down. Then take a slightly damp warm soapy cloth and repeat the circular motions all over the area you’ve waxed. This should bring the sculpture up to its former gleaming glory. If it doesn’t work the first time, several attempts maybe required, especially if it has been left a long time unwaxed.
Repairing scratches and chips is more complicated of course. The severity and depth of the scratch will determine the type of wet and dry sandpaper you should choose. You will see the sandpaper removes the wax finish, but do not panic, you can bring it back if you follow these basic steps. Wet and dry sandpapers used for this job range from 320 which is the coarsest (for deep scratches) to 1200 grit, for slight scuff marks. If you start with 320, you ‘have’ to follow through with every grade thereafter until 1200 so it leaves a perfectly smooth surface. If it’s not too bad a scratch try starting with 320, 620 and 1000 only. Sometimes you can buy multipacks. Try and only sand the area that has been effected, as if you go overboard it will be more work to rewax it after. Wet your sandpapers, then using small circular motions go over the scratch/es – gradually work your way up the grits on the same area/s. If you wait for it to dry in between sanding, you will see your progress. Then you will have to rewax your sculpture as above.
