Wax sculpture
As Ceroplastik ( from Ancient Greek Keros ( κέρος ) - wax) or Wachsbildnerei refers to the art, to form by emboss or casting objects made of wax.
Most often the Ceroplastik used to display fruits, anatomical preparations, artificial pearls, dolls faces and the so-called wax figures. In these only the face, head, neck, hands or other naked parts of wax that covered with clothes parts of the body are usually stuffed it. Collections of wax figures form a waxworks.
The Ceroplastik was already known in antiquity. But have obtained only from the Renaissance period, in which the Wachsbildnerei was very popular small, usually painted, mostly comic genre figures and portrait medallions of wax. The main piece of Wachsbildnerei the Renaissance period is the naturalistically painted head of a young girl from the beginning of the 16th century in the museum at Lille ( Italian labor ).
The art of wax modeling for the preparation of anatomical specimens as well as medical models, such as for training in obstetrics, came on in the 17th century and especially in the 18th century. The centers of these craft skills were in Florence, in London at Guy's Hospital, in Paris, above all by Marie Marguerite Bihéron (1719-1795) as well as in Jena. Special importance came the Wachsmoulagen in dermatology.
Among the wax figure cabinets of the 19th century are the most famous of the Madame Tussauds ( 1780 to 1802 in Paris, then in London), Castans Panopticon (in Berlin and other cities from 1874 to 1921 ) and finally the Grevin Museum in Paris.
The wax used for waxy objects ( Bossierwachs ), upon the actual emboss of four parts wax, three parts white turpentine, some tree oil or lard, and is usually colored red with red lead, cinnabar or bolus to take him the disturbing clarity. Bossierwachs to wax casts, however, is mixed with rosin and receives, it should be red, a little vermilion, it should stay white, some mastic and slate white. Green Bossierwachs obtained by addition of verdigris. For wax dolls etc. you used in recent times instead of the wax paraffin and ceresin. When casting wächsener items ( wax casts ) you have forms made of wood or plaster.