Bases and columns – give your work a foundation

What function should the plinth or base perform?

A plinth can perform a variety of tasks: highlight a work, protect it, give it stability. To decide on a suitable plinth, especially for larger sculptures, ask yourself some very practical questions: Should the sculpture stand indoors or outdoors? Do I have a flat or an uneven surface? Should the base be heavy or light? How much weight must it be able to bear? Do I want to be able to change the colour of the base? Does the base need a pin to fix the sculpture? This will determine which materials and shapes come into question.

Sockets, columns and pedestals for sculptures come in many different materials, sizes, shapes and colours. Classic materials include stone, wood, and metal.

Find a sculpture in your area.

How do I find out the right size for a plinth or column?

When choosing a plinth, it is important to get the proportions right: plinths and pillars should be precisely matched to the object that will be displayed on them. The plinth should therefore be neither too large nor too small, match the object in terms of material and colour and not dominate the sculpture. Only in this way can a plinth support the quality of a sculpture in the best possible way! In principle, the base is not a component of the sculpture, unless it was conceptually intended to be so – the sculptor Constantin Brancusi, for example, dealt intensively with this question. 
To find the right size for the base, take your time and experiment: for example, place a piece of paper or cardboard under your sculpture and try out different sizes to determine what format the base should have. The best height of the base can be found in a similar way, e.g. by placing wooden blocks underneath.

Rightly plinthing – how do I attach a sculpture to the plinth?

The next thing is to place the sculpture correctly on the plinth and fix it in place if necessary. The sculpture should stand straight or at the right angle and – especially in publicly accessible spaces – be protected from falling over. For this purpose,  bildhau offers you various  socketing aids . If you would like to fix your stone sculpture to a plinth with a pin, we can offer you our services for the corresponding drill holes. Just contact us!

Sockets for sculptures made to measure

bildhau has some plinths and columns made of stone, MDF boards (gallery plinths) and solid wood in different heights and layouts, e.g. square or rectangular, in stock. We would also be happy to manufacture stone pedestals or wooden pedestals for you according to your measurements!