Caring for your sculpture
Bronze
Bronze is ideal for exterior use because of its resistance to corrosion and its ability to take a fine, aesthetically pleasing finish. However, when the protective coatings of wax are not maintained they will eventually be lost, leaving your sculpture unprotected from the influences of the environment.
For a minimum clean, you can use a soft cloth, feather duster, or soft-bristle brush. Never use a chemical cleaner or metal polish on your sculpture as doing so will damage the finish, often very severely impairing the sculpture.
For an indoor bronze maintenance once a year is recommended (Twice a year if in a humid or corrosive environment).


Ceramic and Glass
You should handle all glass and ceramic as little as you can and use latex gloves whilst you are moving the objects. Do not use cotton gloves as the sculpture can easily slip and break. Also avoid using your bare hands as the oil and acid from your hands can leave stains on the surface of your piece.
You can dust your ceramic and glass objects using a soft brush. Dry cotton wool or cloth will catch on rough surfaces, leaving their fibres behind, and possibly causing damage.
Willow
Whether inside or out, the treatment for willow is the same. When it needs it (see below) just paint your sculpture with wood preservative or linseed oil using a brush or a spray bottle. Linseed oil is widely used to preserve and finish wood. It can sometimes take days for the oil to dry completely, depending on conditions, sunny days being best. You can buy ‘boiled linseed oil’ from your local DIY shop, which has solvent thinners added to help drying. The process is uncomplicated, but do read what it says on the can or bottle: linseed oil is extremely difficult, even impossible, to get out of clothing, which is why it is so good at protecting your willow sculpture. Sculptures kept outside benefit from a coating of linseed oil once a year and those inside less frequently, about every two or three years.


Wood
After purchasing your carving, treat it with at least 3 more coats of varnish, not forgetting to coat the base and bottom of your carving. You will want to continue coating the carving once a year also. This will help reduce the likelihood of large cracks. Direct sunlight and dry places (next to a heater) are not good for a wooden sculpture.
As wood is a natural material, some wood checking (cracking) is normal. It occurs because of humidity changes and is in no way considered a defect. If the wood sculpture is kept in a stable environment and is treated well with varnish the likelihood of checking can be reduced.