cast iron

Examples of cast iron in the following topics:

• Cast-Iron Architecture

  • Cast-iron architecture was a prominent style in the Industrial Revolution era when cast iron was relatively cheap, and modern steel had not yet been developed.
  • In the 1850s the cheapness and availability of cast iron led James Bogardus of New York City to advocate and design buildings using cast iron components.
  • Cast iron has some architectural advantages, as well as some serious weaknesses.
  • Cast iron was also used widely in bridge construction for the new railway system, sometimes with horrific results, especially when cast iron girders were used instead of arches.
  • The weakest parts of the bridge were cast iron lugs holding tie bars in place, and cast iron in new bridges was effectively abandoned after the disaster.

• Changes in Technology

  • Building materials spawned by the Industrial Revolution, such as iron, steel, and sheet glass, determined new architectural techniques.
  • With the Industrial Revolution, the increasing availability of new building materials such as iron, steel, and sheet glass drove the invention of equally new building techniques.
  • In 1796, Shrewsbury mill owner Charles Bage first used his "fireproof" design, which relied on cast iron and brick with flagstone floors.
  • Due to poor knowledge of iron's properties as a construction material, a number of early mills collapsed.
  • It was not until the early 1830s that Eaton Hodgkinson introduced the section beam, leading to widespread use of iron construction.

• Ceramics and Bronze in the Yayoi Period

  • Artifacts brought to the Japanese islands by the Yayoi people bore Chinese and Korean influences and ushered Japan into the Iron Age.
  • The Yayoi period is an Iron Age era in the history of Japan traditionally dated 300 BCE to 300 CE.
  • Techniques in metallurgy based on the use of bronze and iron were also introduced to Japan in this period.
  • Along with introducing bronze casting and other technologies into the islands, the Yayoi people brought cultural influences from China and Korea.
  • By the 1st century CE, Yayoi farmers began using iron agricultural tools and weapons.

• The Norse

  • "Norse art" defines the artistic legacies of Scandinavia during the Germanic Iron Age, the Viking Age, and the Nordic Bronze Age.
  • "Norse art" is a blanket term for the artistic styles in Scandinavia during the Germanic Iron Age, the Viking Age, and the Nordic Bronze Age.
  • This could involve various types of design such as bulls, dolphins, gold lions, drakes spewing fire out of their nose, human beings cast in gold and silver, and other unidentifiable animals cast in bronze metal.

• Benin

  • The Benin Empire (1440-1897) developed an advanced artistic culture, especially known for its famous artifacts of bronze, iron, and ivory.
  • It developed an advanced artistic culture, especially known for its famous artifacts of bronze, iron, and ivory.
  • During the reign of the Kingdom of Benin, the characteristics of the artwork shifted from thin castings and careful treatment to thick, less defined castings and generalized features.
  • Instead, a trade system was developed where the Portuguese provided the Benin with luxury items (such as coral beads, cloth and brass manillas for casting) and received paper, cloth, and Benin artwork in return.
  • They were cast in matching pairs (although each was individually made), and it is thought that they were originally nailed to walls and pillars in the palace as decoration.

• Bronze under the Zhou Dynasty

  • The art of the Zhou Dynasty was characterized by the introduction of iron and the refinement of elaborate bronzework.
  • Though iron was introduced to China during the Zhou Dynasty, this period of Chinese history produced what many consider the zenith of Chinese bronze-ware making.
  • Zhou art also borrowed heavily from the Shang, and the Zhou practice of casting inscriptions in bronze vessels, as well as the design of the vessels themselves, suggests a direct Shang influence.
  • The bronzes of the Western Zhou Dynasty document large portions of history not found in the existing texts of the time, and the medium of cast bronze lends the record a permanence not enjoyed by manuscripts.
  • Discuss the advancements and cultural adaptations of the Zhou Dynasty, including bronze and iron-ware.

• Benin

  • At its height, the Benin Empire displayed an advanced artistic culture that produced beautiful works of bronze, iron and ivory.
  • At its height, the empire developed an advanced artistic culture and produced beautiful artifacts of bronze, iron and ivory.
  • Instead, a trade network was established in which the Benin Empire traded beautiful works of art for luxury items from Portugal, such as beads, cloth, and brass manillas for casting.

• Art of the Igbo

  • The Igbo people have a musical style into which they incorporate various percussion instruments: the udu, which is essentially designed from a clay jug; an ekwe, which is formed from a hollowed log; and the ogene, a hand bell designed from forged iron.
  • Bronze castings found in the town of Igbo Ukwu from the 9th century constitute the earliest sculptures discovered in Igboland.
  • Here, the grave of a well-established man of distinction and a ritual store, dating from the 9th century CE, contained both chased copper objects and elaborate castings of leaded bronze.
  • A mask can be made of wood or fabric, along with other materials, including iron and vegetation.

• Sculpture of the Igbo-Ukwu

  • This was centuries before the production of other known bronzes of the region, making the Igbo culture the earliest known example of a bronze-casting society in the region.
  • Most bronze sculptures were made in stages using the lost wax technique, an ancient casting process commonly using wax.
  • Many of the castings integrated small decorative items and designs, showing the artisans' high level of skill.
  • Other artifacts discovered in the sites include jewelry, ceramics, a corpse adorned in what appears to be regalia, and many assorted copper and iron objects.
  • The elaborate designs and casting in bronzes such as this one point to the Igbo people's high level of skill.

• Ile-Ife and Benin Sculpture

  • Hollow-cast bronze art created by the Yoruba culture provides an example of realism in precolonial African art.
  • At its height, the empire developed an advanced artistic culture and produced beautiful artifacts of bronze, iron and ivory.
  • During the reign of the Kingdom of Benin, the characteristics of the artwork shifted from thin castings and careful treatment to thick, less defined castings and generalized features.
  • Instead, a trade network was established in which the Benin Empire traded beautiful works of art for luxury items from Portugal, such as beads, cloth, and brass manillas for casting.
  • They were cast in matching pairs (although each was individually made), and it is thought that they were originally nailed to walls and pillars in the palace as decoration.