It is with great pride that we share a milestone that is exceptional both for KUZCO Art Maison and for the history of European goldsmithing and sculpture. At Gold Republic's event The Future of Gold one of the largest solid-gold sculptures ever made anywhere in the world was presented.
The Birth of Value – a 12.3 kg / 400 troy ounce solid-gold work of art in 999.9 fine gold, designed by Lilly-Ann de Zeeuw, MA, founder of KUZCO Art Maison.
The work was commissioned by Gold Republic and made in collaboration with Valcambi Suisse, the world's leading LBMA-accredited precious-metals refinery.
One of the largest solid-gold sculptures in the world
Weighing 12.3 kilograms (999.9 Au), The Birth of Value belongs to a very rare group of contemporary works of art made entirely of solid gold by a traditional casting method. Only a handful of gold objects worldwide are larger in scale and weight – almost all of them with a fundamentally different purpose and principle of production.
Yet such an object now stands again – contemporary, technically innovative, but deeply rooted in Dutch art history.
For comparison:
- The Golden Buddha, Bangkok (c. 5,500 kg | priceless)
- The golden finial of the Taj Mahal (c. 3,700 kg | historic religious object)
- Castello Cube – Niclas Castello (c. 186 kg | ± $11.7 million)
Whereas these objects function primarily as a religious monument, an architectural element or a conceptual statement, The Birth of Value stands apart through its method of production and its intent.
The Birth of Value was made by the lost-wax method, a centuries-old technique rarely used at this scale because of the extreme cost of gold. KUZCO oversaw the entire technical process: design, modelling, casting technique and finishing.
Investing from 1 gram: Gold Republic Genera makes shared ownership possible
For the first time, a solid-gold sculpture is being made accessible through blockchain technology. Gold Republic offers the opportunity to become a co-owner of this work of art from 1 gram. Click the link above to find out more.
This means:
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investing in art and gold at the same time
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opening up what traditionally belonged only in private collections or museums
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sharing in a singular chapter of contemporary art and goldsmithing.
'With The Birth of Value we show that innovation is not separate from tradition. We combine the oldest symbol of value with the newest forms of reliable registration. This one-off sculpture represents all the individual gold bars currently held in our vaults,' says Marleen Evertsz, founder of GoldRepublic.
'It also shows our new, innovative direction as one of the most trusted providers of precious metals. With The Birth of Value we are building on our fifteen-year mission to make genuine gold ownership accessible, secure and future-proof for everyone.'
Artist's statement
'As an art historian, I have looked at Adam van Vianen's ewer endlessly. What always moved me is how radically new its language of form was. Not an illustration of the visible world, but pure imagination.
That ability to break boundaries is, for me, the same force that drives wealth and progress: daring to depart from the crowd, daring to create rather than follow.
With The Birth of Value I wanted to reopen that conversation.
Gold stands for certainty and protection, but in the auricular base beneath it I let Van Vianen's creativity run wild – capricious, organic, almost surreal.The egg stands for promise: closed, but full of potential.
Whoever invests – in art, in imagination, in themselves – chooses the possibility that something may emerge that is greater than anything they could see beforehand.'– Lilly-Ann de Zeeuw, MA
The Art-Historical Dialogue: Van Vianen and the Auricular Style
The Birth of Value is in direct conversation with the auricular style (in Dutch, kwabstijl), developed by the Utrecht silversmiths Paulus and Adam van Vianen (1568–1627).
Their organic, fluid forms were a visual revolution in the 17th century:
precious metal that seemed to grow, melt and transform.
A celebrated example is Adam van Vianen's covered ewer (1614), a work that inspired countless artists and appears in several 17th-century paintings, including:
'Isaac Blessing Jacob' – Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, 1642, The Met
Adam raised the ewer from a single sheet of silver. To this day, no one knows exactly how.
The Birth of Value draws on that spirit of experiment, daring and formal innovation – but in solid gold.
The largest gold sculpture in the Netherlands & Belgium
The Birth of Value is not simply a sculpture in gold. Weighing 12.3 kilograms in 999.9 fine gold, it is the largest entirely solid-gold sculpture ever made in the Netherlands and Belgium as an autonomous work of art – and an explicit continuation of Dutch goldsmithing and art history.
The work is in direct dialogue with the 17th-century auricular style, developed by the Utrecht master goldsmiths Paulus and Adam van Vianen (1568-1627). In their time they pushed the limits of what precious metal could be: silver became fluid, organic and sculptural, freed from function and decoration. Adam van Vianen's celebrated covered ewer of 1614 – formed from a single piece of silver – in particular is regarded as a high point of Dutch innovation in the arts.
Making The Birth of Value with Valcambi Suisse
Realising a solid-gold sculpture on this scale is exceptional – technically, logistically and artistically. For this project KUZCO Art Maison worked with Valcambi Suisse, one of the world's most renowned refineries and makers of precious-metal objects at the highest level. Watch the videos on YouTube that show the production.
While KUZCO was responsible for the concept, design, modelling phase and artistic direction, Valcambi brought its deep technical expertise to cast and polish the work into reality.
How the process came about
1. Artistic design & 3D models
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KUZCO developed the first sculptural design, based on the auricular style and the symbolism of growth, value and transformation.
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Together with Valcambi, the technical requirements were translated into 3D models suitable for lost-wax production.
2. The lost-wax method on a scale that is now almost unheard of
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Every detail of the auricular base and the organic forms was modelled by hand in wax.
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These wax models were encased in a heat-resistant mould, after which the wax was melted out – a process rarely carried out with solid gold because of the risks and complexity.
3. Casting in 999.9 fine gold
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Valcambi carried out the casting under controlled conditions to guarantee a purity of 999.9 Au.
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The weight of 12.3 kg demanded exceptional temperature control and a high degree of stability in the moulding process.
4. Finishing & refinement
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After the mould was broken, the object was finished entirely by hand.
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KUZCO supervised the precision of form, crispness and texture – essential for a sculpture that brings together historical inspiration and contemporary precision.
5. Documentation & certification
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Valcambi supplied full technical certification of material, purity and production origin, so that The Birth of Value is not only a work of art but also a fully traceable precious-metal object.
Accessibility as a Mission: Art and Heritage for a New Audience
KUZCO Art Maison works where these meet:
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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 is a new step in that vision:
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a sculpture that brings together the Dutch drive for innovation, symbolism and craftsmanship
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made 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 work is therefore not just an object but a cultural bridge: between past and future, between elite art and present-day accessibility.
Frequently asked questions about The Birth of Value
What makes The Birth of Value so special?
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It is one of the largest solid-gold sculptures ever made.
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Made in 999.9 fine gold by the lost-wax method.
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It connects contemporary art with Dutch 17th-century traditions of form.
Who designed the work?
The sculpture was designed by Lilly-Ann de Zeeuw, MA, art historian and founder of KUZCO Art Maison, commissioned by Gold Republic.
Can I become a co-owner of the sculpture?
Yes. Through Gold Republic you can invest in the work from 1 gram.
Why is the auricular style relevant?
The auricular style (kwabstijl) was a revolutionary Dutch art movement developed by the Van Vianen brothers. The Birth of Value is inspired by it in both content and appearance.
Is this art or an investment?
Both. The work is made entirely of pure gold and has art-historical significance. It therefore touches two worlds: material and cultural value.
