Interesting Beeswax Facts

 

Some interesting interesting information about bees, wax, and honey:

For some ancient cultures wax was a symbol of purity and virginity and was considered sacred. It was considered a gift from the bees and was given as gifts and never sold in ancient times (Betz, Newman 13-14). Napoleon used the honeybee as a symbol of his reign. Encaustic wax has been used historically in the arts as far back as the Egyptian Fayum era. Mummy sarcophagi portraits were painted with pigments and beeswax and are the earliest known examples of encaustic wax paintings (664-333B.C.)  in this era (Newman, 25, Enkaustikos).  When wax is used on surface it forms a seal against oxygen therefore retarding oxidation of the surface, which is one of the reasons why ancient Egyptian wax-based portraits have lasted so long. In the first century in Java, Indonesia, wax was used as a resist in dyeing patterns on batik fabric cloth. Wax was also used in the fourth century in the Sicyon workshops. Marble was colored with wax in sculptures (Newman, 25). In Hellenistic fourth century B.C. the gravestones of Demetrias Pagusus were painted on with colored wax and currently reside in the Volos Museum in Volos, Greece (Newman 22-25).  These are only a few examples of wax use in the past. Encaustic wax art is an ancient art form medium which is having a current renaissance among artists in our time. 

The ancients invented specific tools for working with wax in the arts.  Newman state in her book:

 “Among the instruments was a cauterium, a long, thin bronze tool, flattened at one end and shaped like a shallow pot at the other for melting and modeling the wax” (31). 

This and other encaustic wax tools have been found in graves site from ancient times. Tools such as these are currently being reinvented for modern wax artists (R&F paints, Enkaustikos).  

Wax can exist in a solid form, a paste, or a liquid. It can be used to duplicate forms by carving it, or create new forms in artwork like sculptures (Newman, 17-20, Wikepedia)  Mannequins at Madame Tousad’s are used to replicate famous persons for example or can be used for store window mannequins. Wax contains no water and resists water in its natural form but can be modified with other agents (turpentine, alcohol) to become water soluble (The term for this quality of water resistance is saponification). Saponified means it has no esters, as in synthetic waxes. A true wax is comprised of: fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and esters (Newman, 17-19).  (See Newman, pages 17-20 for technical chemical information on this aspect of wax). There is no man made synthetic wax that comes close to the many properties of the natural beeswax.

Wax is pliable and plastic and can be molded which makes it a good material for minute detail work. It contains no water and it is considered a film former (Newman, 18-19). The film can be removed by buffing with a soft cloth occasionally which I do to all of my art pieces. Wax has an excellent dispersion quality which makes it wonderful for a vehicle of carrying pigments in artwork usage such as encaustics. It is also used in a “lost wax” process to produce gold jewelry and metal sculpture. In the modern era it is used to make molded plastic parts. Wax is chemically inert and non-toxic and resists funguses, mildew, molds, and insects because it has an acidic PH (Newman, 11-20). 

Wax has no boiling point but can be flammable at high temperatures. Heating it must be done with caution. Most wax becomes liquid when heated from 110 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. It must never be heated over a direct flame or exposed to a heating element as it can ignite. It should always be heated indirectly (Newman, 19).

The many varied qualities of bees wax continue to amaze me as I work with it and discover new things I can do with it. Its luminosity and fluidity are particular qualities I admire and the ability to scrape it off, re-melt it, and begin again makes it a wonderful medium for art making.

Sources

  • Betz, John, producer. Taggart Siegel, director. Netflix Documentary Film. “Queen of the Sun. What are the Honey Bees Telling Us?” Collective Eye Production, Inc.