The bronze sculpture "Figure Sans Nom" created by Jean (Hans) Arp (1886-1966) was conceived in 1957 and cast in 1961 in a numbered edition of five. It was originally polished to a high gloss finish. Fingerprints as well as other stains were interfering in the overall appreciation of the artwork. If not removed, these substances can cause corrosion on the surface. A careful surface cleaning returned the artwork to its original condition.
To return the bronze sculpture to its original, polished appearance, it was necessary a fair amount of elbow grease and a good polishing compound. There were no old lacquers applied to the surface and polishing with a mild abrasive was a safe cleaning method. Bronze is a relatively soft metal and commercially available mixtures remove more metal than simple polishing does.
