Once the finishing is complete, the bronze is ready for delivery. Obara casts limited editions of his works, usually five or ten, but never more than fifteen. At a client's request, he will create a "unique" or 1/1 edition—the only one in the world. After the final edition has been cast, the mold is broken into multiple parts and destroyed, a guarantee that no more castings will ever be made.
Obara's wildlife bronzes come with a signed provenance card in a wax-sealed envelope.
The beginning of a bronze's history
His name, signed and dated in the original clay model, appears in each sculpture.
He may also use the crest to further personalize a bronze.
The foundry that does the casting also applies its hallmark to the work.
Click for a 6½ minute video showing Mr. Obara's sculpting processes.
The last thing that Mr. Obara does is to record the sales information in the Wildlife Bronze Sales book. He includes the sculpture type, edition number and customer contact information.
This book is the final authority on provence of a sculpture.
Limited edition number (1 of 3)
Provenance envelope
Artist's proof with crest, dated
with Obara's signature
Crest
Foundry hallmark
Wildlife Bronze Sales book