{"product_id":"multi-colour-graded-tortoise-with-carved-shell-61cm","title":"Multi-Colour Graded Tortoise with Carved Shell - 61cm","description":"\u003ch3\u003eDescription\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe tortoise in this cast resin sculpture stands on four short scaled legs with its head out and its mouth open. Its shell is the piece: a border of interlocking square fret runs right round the rim, and above it the dome rises into a heaped mass of raised scrolls that curl like cloud. The plating runs green through the neck and around the rim of the shell and warms to a deep amber across the middle of the back, the muzzle and the legs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eA Straight-Lined Pattern on a Domed Shell\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA fret pattern is made of straight lines and a shell is a dome, which is the awkward combination. Every square in the border has to keep its angle as the surface curves away, and a line that stays true to the tool rather than to the shell arrives visibly crooked by the time it has travelled a hand's width; so the border is set out in short runs and each is cut to the curve rather than across it. The scrollwork above is the opposite problem and the slower one: it is a continuous mass with no repeat, so there is nothing to check a mistake against, and it is worked from the centre outwards, the outermost curls cut last and undercut clear of the dome behind them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEverything on this animal is on top of it, so it wants a surface below eye level where the shell can be looked down on: a low chest, a hearth or a broad step. From standing height above a console you see the shell and not the head, which is a fair view but not the whole piece. Raking light from above drops a shadow into each scroll, and that is what makes the carving read; flat light turns the dome into a patch of colour. Give it a plain surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhat Is on the Shell, Colour and Delivery\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eExpect 3–4 weeks for a standard piece and 5–6 weeks where the commission is bespoke. What sits on the shell is open: this scrollwork, a plain dome, or a single creature on a smooth back. The plating is made in this green to amber, in a blue to green, in a rose to gold, or as a single flat colour, and a clear body with no plating at all is offered. The fret border can be cut deeper or left off. Any scale is cut to order. Pieces bought together go through the plating in one run so their grades agree. Delivery is a single fitted crate with nothing to fit; one person can carry it, holding the shell and not a leg. Our main studios are in the UK (Birmingham) and Dubai, with additional global workshops.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA tortoise with a carved shell belongs with our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/animal-sculptures\"\u003eanimal sculptures\u003c\/a\u003e; a dome heaped with curling scrolls leads to our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/classic-sculptures\"\u003eclassic sculptures\u003c\/a\u003e, and plating graded from green to amber joins our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/resin-sculptures\"\u003eresin sculptures\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable class=\"spec_table\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHeight\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e43cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWidth\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e61cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDepth\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e36cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaterial\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCast Resin with a Graded Optical Plating\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Giant Sculptures","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54019284173147,"sku":"R212","price":5197.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0869\/3383\/2027\/files\/R212.jpg?v=1791312188","url":"https:\/\/giant-sculptures.com\/products\/multi-colour-graded-tortoise-with-carved-shell-61cm","provider":"Giant Sculptures","version":"1.0","type":"link"}