▁the ▁household ▁craft ▁from ▁which ▁Greek ▁bronze ▁work ▁spr ang , ▁pers isted ▁in ▁some ▁special ▁and ▁highly ▁perfect ed ▁forms , ▁as ▁handle - plates ▁on ▁certain ▁v ases , ▁em blem ata ▁on ▁mirror - cases , ▁and ▁particularly ▁as ▁orn aments ▁of ▁arm our , ▁where ▁light ▁weight ▁was ▁required . ▁The ▁Sir is ▁bron zes ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁Museum ▁are ▁shoulder - pie ces ▁from ▁a ▁ 4 th - century ▁cu ir ass . ▁Cast ing ▁was ▁done ▁by ▁the ▁c ire ▁perd ue ▁process ▁in ▁cl ay ▁m ould s , ▁but ▁a ▁great ▁deal ▁of ▁labour ▁was ▁spent ▁on ▁finishing . ▁The ▁cast s ▁are ▁very ▁fin ely ▁ch ased , ▁and ▁most ▁large ▁pieces ▁contain ▁patch es , ▁inserted ▁to ▁make ▁good ▁the ▁fla ws . ▁He ads ▁and ▁lim bs ▁of ▁stat ues ▁were ▁cast ▁separately ▁and ▁adjust ed ▁to ▁the ▁bodies : ▁besides ▁the ▁evidence ▁of ▁literature ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁actual ▁bron zes , ▁there ▁is ▁an ▁illustr ation ▁of ▁a ▁dis member ed ▁statue ▁in ▁the ▁making ▁on ▁a ▁painted ▁v ase ▁in ▁Berlin . ▁ ▁Pl iny ▁and ▁other ▁ancient ▁writers ▁have ▁much ▁to ▁say ▁in ▁regard ▁to ▁various ▁allo ys ▁of ▁bronze ▁— ▁Cor inth ian , ▁Del ian , ▁A egin et an , ▁Sy rac us an ▁— ▁in ▁regard ▁to ▁their ▁composition ▁and ▁uses ▁and ▁particularly ▁to ▁their ▁colour ▁effects , ▁but ▁their ▁statements ▁have ▁not ▁been ▁confirmed ▁by ▁modern ▁anal ys es ▁and ▁are ▁sometimes ▁manifest