How to Clean and Care for a Bronze-Effect Statue

Know what your statue is made of

Care starts with the material, and it is listed on every product page. The Julius Caesar Bust is resin with a hand-finished bronze effect; the Nike of Samothrace is resin with a museum-quality bronze effect; the Atlas is bronzed resin; Michelangelo's David carries a premium bronze-style finish. A few pieces are different: the Roman Warrior — The Conqueror is metal with an antiqued bronze finish, and the Lady Justice — 75 cm combines bronze and resin. One thing they all share: these are contemporary reproductions, not antiquities. You are protecting a finish, not conserving an archaeological surface — which makes your job far simpler.

Choose the display spot first

Where a statue stands decides most of its future. Pick a stable, level surface, away from the edge of the shelf and out of the path of doors. Keep it out of direct sunlight: strong sun, day after day, can dull or discolour any applied finish. Avoid damp rooms — a bathroom windowsill or the shelf above a kettle exposes the piece to constant humidity — and keep some distance from radiators and heaters. A taller piece such as the Lady Justice — 75 cm belongs where sleeves, pets and vacuum cleaners will not reach it.

Routine cleaning: a dry cloth is enough

For regular care, use a soft, dry cloth — microfibre works well — and wipe gently, without pressing. For the spots a cloth cannot reach, like the serpents of the Medusa Bust or the reins of the Roman War Chariot, use a clean, soft, dry brush. Little and often beats rarely and hard: a light dusting every week or two keeps the surface from ever needing more than that.

What to keep away from the finish

Never use solvents, alcohol, acetone, ammonia or spray cleaners on a bronze-effect surface: they can attack the finish itself. Skip abrasive sponges and scouring powders for the same reason. Metal polish deserves its own warning — it is formulated for solid metal and can strip an applied bronze effect, so it has no place near resin. If dry dusting is not enough, use a cloth barely dampened with plain water and wrung out well, then dry the piece immediately with a second cloth. Never soak a statue and never hold it under running water.

Metal pieces follow one rule: stay dry

Steel and metal pieces — the antiqued-bronze Roman Warrior among them — ask for even less. Wipe fingerprints away with a soft, dry cloth and keep the piece away from moisture. No household cleaners here either: if a metal piece ever seems to need more than a dry cloth, ask us before trying anything on it.

When in doubt, ask us in person

We are at Via Cavour 280 in Rome, 50 metres from the Colosseum, open every day from 10:00 to 20:00. If you are unsure about a mark or a cleaning method, bring the piece or a photo: advice costs nothing, and it is safer than experimenting on a finish. Directions and details are on our visit page.