‘Happy Hatch Day Kiwi’

Bronze originals sculpted by Susan Dinkelacker

A kiwi chick on the day of hatching makes a perfect birthday gift.

Kiwi eggs are the largest relative to body weight of any existing bird. They hatch fully feathered. When I was striving to sculpt the unusual hair-like texture of kiwi feathers, I came up with an innovative method of impregnating actual dried fern leaves into wax. The fern leaves burn off when the wax is cast into bronze, creating a texture that makes each sculpture unique.

Note: As each “Happy Hatch Day Kiwi” is a one-off original, it may differ from the photograph shown.

A sculpture comprising of two of these, entitled: “Hatchlings” has been nominated as finalists in the Richard T. Nelson Sculpture Awards 2022.