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GALLOPING
HORSE - Equus caballus
Each sculptured
galloping horse is handmade using 1.50mm. diameter silver, or
9ct./18ct. gold wire; plus a certain amount of sheet, wherever
necessary, such as for ears and the hooves.
These horses
appear to be fragile but they are rather stronger than they look due
to the methods of construction. However, in order to obtain a
lightness of construction thin wire is used which means that they are
better shown off in some form of glass-fronted showcase. Using wire
too thick tends to make the whole sculpture look rather clumsy.
The method of
construction is as follows.
1. Detailed
engineering drawings are made based primarily on the bone structure
of a horse. This allows me to work out muscle placement.
2. Using
the above drawings numerous wires are bent to shape in the flat and
then the wires soldered one to another using either silver or gold solder.
3. Each
joint is then hand filed to shape using needle files and finally the
finished section concerned is polished on a buffing machine.
4. Now for
all the fun and games. Up to this point the construction is
relatively easy because each section is quite flat. However, at this
point the various flat sections have to bent to form a three
dimensional object and then the sections soldered together. The swear
box tends to fill quickly at this stage!
5. More
joint cleaning and polishing on a buffing machine. Nerves of steel
are now required - get the buffing wrong and you go back to stage 2
and start again!
Each
sculpture is hallmarked by the London Assay Office.
I must point out
that silver will tarnish under normal circumstances. In order to
circumnavigate this problem gold plating is available if required.
All photographs by
Simon Ashworth |
