To recreate this piece I bought an original Gilera crankcase, a plaster mold was made with a liquid casting inside a wooden formwork. The mold must dry 100% for a few days (it must completely eliminate the water inside it). Once the mold is ready you can proceed with the casting of the liquid clay called slip, based on the waiting time the thickness of the walls increases, creating an external wall. The excess slip is removed, it takes a few hours to extract the clay from the mold, the piece is very delicate, it must dry naturally until it becomes similar to leather. Once dried it is ready to be baked in the oven at a temperature of about 1000 ° centigrade. I decided to recreate these engine crankcases because I like their design and lines. Other crankcases that are in the process of being worked on are Benelli - Mosquito, in the assembly phase. They can also be placed on a panel or on another support even directly on the wall. The production time is not very fast, if you are interested in some piece you can write to me without problems.
This is a Gilera crankcase made entirely of ceramic. I modeled it by hand starting from clay, then I baked it in the oven and finally I fixed it on a rough wooden base. It is not a functional piece, but a simple ornament: a small sculpture that celebrates the beauty of classic mechanics.
I like the idea of ​​stripping certain objects of their original function and giving them a new, more contemplative identity. Ceramic, with its warm and material surfaces, gives an almost “ancient” sensation, as if it were a relic from a forgotten workshop. The “Gilera” writing is engraved by hand and deliberately left imperfect, to give a sense of experience and authenticity.
The work is supported by two metal rods that suspend it like a reliquary object, while the wooden base – deliberately rough – completes the contrast between matter and memory.
In addition to this type of crankcase, I also make ceramic carburetors, inspired by the BING and DELLORTO models, always modeled and fired by hand. If you are curious, you can see them on my website along with other similar works.

If you have questions, curiosities or want to know something more about these pieces, write to me: I am always happy to talk about them!

Added Dec 17, 2024

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