In order to create a bronze piece, like a Napoleonic eagle with spread wings, we need a model to work from.  We use a wooden detailed Napoleonic eagle that our carver has crafted and finished for us.

We make a mold from the piece and pour a melted bronze cast. The casting process results in an eagle form, absent of details such as eyes and feathers.

This is where the chiseling process steps in.  It is a completely handcraft process in which the chiseler literally brings the Napoleonic eagle to life, recreating the details using the original carved sculpture as a model.

This antique procedure is performed with the same tools used hundreds of years ago and it is, of course, very time consuming, costly and is only done by true experts.