Is loose material inside bronze statue common?

Loose material rattling inside bronze statue, is it common?

• I just received a bronze statue(12" long and 5" wide) of a lion and it has loose material inside rattling around. Its sounds like dirt and bronze chunks. Is this common for bronze statues?

• Answer:

  Depends a bit how it was made, but while it's not indicative of very careful production it could be leftovers of the material the bronze was cast into. If it was cast hollow in one piece it can be hard to get all that material out. Though really it is not entirely professional to leave some in, as over time it can lead to some corrosion. Though not in the next decade or two. But depending on price and way of production it can happen.