It is with great pride that we share a milestone that is exceptional not only for KUZCO Art Maison, but also for the wider history of European goldsmithing and sculpture. During The Future of Gold event hosted by GoldRepublic, one of the largest solid-gold sculptures ever produced worldwide was unveiled.
The Birth of Value — a 12.3 kg / 400-troy-ounce masterpiece in 999.9 pure gold (Au), designed by Lilly-Ann de Zeeuw, MA, founder of KUZCO, commissioned by GoldRepublic and realised in collaboration with Valcambi Suisse. Alongside the design, KUZCO oversaw the entire technical production process.
One of the Largest Solid-Gold Sculptures in the World
Volledig massief gouden sculpturen bestaan in de moderne wereld vrijwel niet meer. Al helemaal niet in deze schaal. Historisch gezien behoren zij toe aan:
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koninklijke schatkamers
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rituele objecten
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uitzonderlijke meesterwerken van de edelsmeedkunst
Toch staat er nu opnieuw een dergelijk object — hedendaags, technisch vernieuwend, maar diep geworteld in de Nederlandse kunstgeschiedenis.
The Birth of Value werd vervaardigd volgens de verloren-wasmethode, een eeuwenoude techniek die zelden wordt toegepast op massief goud vanwege de extreme complexiteit. KUZCO begeleidde het gehele technische traject: ontwerp, modelleerproces, giettechniek en afwerking.
GoldRepublic Genera Enables Shared Ownership
This year, as Gold Republic celebrated its 15th anniversary, they invited KUZCO to create a sculpture that unites material value, imagination, and the idea of the future. The result is a work that pushes technical boundaries while remaining deeply rooted in one of the most innovative chapters of the Dutch 17th century.
Gold Republic now enables co-ownership of this sculpture from as little as 1 gram, through blockchain technology — offering a uniquely accessible way to invest in both gold and art. Click the link above for details.
This means:
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investing in art and gold simultaneously
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democratising what has traditionally belonged solely to private collections or museums
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contributing to a unique chapter of contemporary art and goldsmithing
Artist Statement
"As an art historian, I have spent countless hours looking at Adam van Vianen’s ewer. What always moved me was how radically innovative that visual language was. Not an illustration of the visible world, but pure imagination.
That ability to break through boundaries is, to me, the same force that drives wealth and progress: the courage to deviate from the crowd, to create rather than to follow.
With The Birth of Value, I wanted to reopen that conversation.
Gold represents certainty and protection, yet in the auricular base beneath it I let Van Vianen’s creativity unravel — fluid, organic, almost surreal.The egg represents promise: closed, yet full of potential.
Whoever invests — in art, in imagination, in themselves — chooses the possibility that something arises which surpasses what could be foreseen.”— Lilly-Ann de Zeeuw, MA
The Art-Historical Dialogue: Van Vianen and the Auricular Style
The Birth of Value enters into direct dialogue with the kwabstijl — internationally known as the auricular style — developed by the Utrecht goldsmiths Paulus and Adam van Vianen (1568–1627).
Their organic, fluid forms sparked a visual revolution in the 17th century:
precious metal that seemed to grow, melt, and transform.
A key example is Adam van Vianen’s Covered Ewer (1614), a masterpiece that inspired generations of artists and appears in numerous 17th-century paintings, including:
“Isaac Blessing Jacob” — Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, 1642, The MET Museum
The ewer was raised from a single sheet of silver — a technical mystery that remains unsolved to this day.
The Birth of Value draws upon this spirit of experimentation, daring, and formal innovation — but now realised in solid gold.
The Making of The Birth of Value with Valcambi Suisse
Creating a solid-gold sculpture of this scale is extraordinary — technically, logistically, and artistically. For this project, KUZCO Art Maison partnered with Valcambi Suisse, one of the world’s most respected refineries and producers of high-precision precious-metal objects.
While KUZCO was responsible for concept, design, modelling, and artistic direction, Valcambi provided the technical mastery required to bring the piece to life.
How the Process Unfolded
1. Artistic Design & 3D Modelling
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KUZCO developed the initial sculptural design, inspired by the auricular style and by themes of growth, value, and transformation.
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Together with Valcambi, the artistic vision was translated into 3D models suitable for lost-wax production.
2. Lost-Wax Casting on a Scale Rarely Seen Anymore
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Every detail of the auricular base and organic forms was modelled by hand in wax.
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These wax models were encased in a heat-resistant mould, from which the wax was melted — a process almost never used for solid gold due to the risks and complexity involved.
3. Casting with 999.9 Pure Gold
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Valcambi executed the casting under controlled conditions to ensure the purity of 999.9 Au.
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The weight of 12.3 kg required exceptional temperature control and unusually high stability during the moulding process.
4. Finishing & Refinement
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After breaking the mould, the sculpture was entirely hand-finished by Valcambi Suisse.
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KUZCO supervised form precision, crispness, and texture — essential for a work in which historical inspiration meets contemporary exactness.
5. Documentation & Certification
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Valcambi provided full technical certification of material, purity, and production origin, making The Birth of Value not only an artwork but also a fully traceable precious-metal object.
Accessibility as a Mission: Art and Heritage for a New Audience
KUZCO Art Maison operates at the intersection of:
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academic research
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art-historical craftsmanship
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contemporary design
Our mission: to make art and art history accessible without compromising on quality.
The Birth of Value represents a new evolution of that vision:
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a sculpture in which Dutch innovation, symbolism, and craftsmanship converge
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realised in the most precious material we know: pure gold
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shared ownership as a new way of connecting, valuing, and preserving
The artwork becomes not only an object, but a cultural bridge — between past and future, between elite art and contemporary accessibility.
Frequently Asked Questions about The Birth of Value
What makes The Birth of Value so extraordinary?
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It is one of the largest solid-gold sculptures ever produced.
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Cast in 999.9 pure gold using the lost-wax method.
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It connects contemporary art with Dutch 17th-century design traditions.
Who designed the sculpture?
The piece was designed by Lilly-Ann de Zeeuw, MA, art historian and founder of KUZCO Art Maison, commissioned by GoldRepublic.
Can I become a co-owner of the sculpture?
Yes. Through GoldRepublic, you can invest from as little as 1 gram.
Why is the auricular style relevant?
The auricular style (kwabstijl) was a revolutionary Dutch artistic movement developed by the Van Vianen family. The Birth of Value is both visually and conceptually inspired by this tradition.
Is this art or an investment?
Both. The artwork is composed entirely of pure gold and carries significant art-historical meaning. It therefore occupies two worlds: material value and cultural value.
