When your crate arrives: unpacking a bronze

Every bronze over 6 inches leaves our foundry in a wooden crate, packed by our own staff. If it is your first time receiving one, here is what to expect when the truck reaches your door.

Before you sign the delivery slip, look at the outside of the crate. If a corner is crushed or a plank is split, take a photo with the delivery person in it and write “received damaged, subject to inspection” on the slip. Do not refuse it; just make a note. Then move the crate indoors, close to where the bronze will stand, because large pieces are easier to carry in the crate than out of it.

Open the crate from the top, using a claw hammer on the marked lid, never the sides. Inside, the bronze is wrapped in cotton cloth, then bubble wrap, and held in place with coir and wooden blocks screwed to the base. Lift it by the base or the pedestal, never by the arms, the prabhavali or the ring of flames. For anything above 18 inches, use two people.

Unwrap it on a folded blanket. Check it against the photos we sent before dispatch and the weight on the bill; a kitchen or luggage scale is close enough. If anything is wrong, message us within 48 hours with photos and keep the packing. Once you are happy, keep the crate if you have space. It is the safest way to move the bronze if you change house.