Final pour from Murray's workshop • In 9 active carts • 49 left
Murray's Hand-Cast Bronze Bird Bath
Murray's Hand-Cast Bronze Bird Bath
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Murray's Hand-Cast Bronze Bird Bath
Cast in solid bronze in an old mud-brick fruit shed in Alexandra, Central Otago
Murray Kinnaird, 74, poured iron in a Dunedin railway foundry for 39 years. Now he casts one thing: a bronze bird bath, so garden birds have water through the summer heat. His right shoulder has given out and he can no longer lift the crucible. These are his last 49.
“The day Alex hit 38.7, the tūī was standing in my bird bath at seven in the morning with his beak open. I’d hung sugar water for him for years. He didn’t touch it. He wanted the water.”
Murray Kinnaird · Alexandra, Central Otago
What comes in the box
Seated girl in a gown of cast leaves
Her raised hem holds about half a litre
Cast perched on her hand
Safely packed, lovely to give
What makes Murray’s bird bath special
Each figure comes out of one pour of solid bronze. No hollow resin that fades and goes brittle in the New Zealand sun.
No paint, no chemicals. Every piece stands outside through one Central Otago winter of frost and fog until the soft green grows on its own.
Shallow on purpose, so silvereyes, fantails and bellbirds can drink and bathe safely.
Overlapping leaves guide rain straight into the bowl. When a summer shower comes through, it tops itself up.
Solid, heavy metal that won’t fade, crack in a frost or blow over in a nor’wester. It looks better every year it stands outside.
Murray files every leaf edge himself. No two figures are exactly alike.
“Most people think about feeding backyard birds and forget about water. On a hot January day, a small bird has to drink just to stay cool. A shallow, clean bowl near some shrubs does more for silvereyes and tūī than another feeder ever will.”
Dr. Helen Brodie · Urban-bird ecologist · Otago garden-bird survey volunteer
Perfect for
Why Murray’s bird bath lasts
- Solid cast metal. Heavy and stable, it won’t blow over or crack.
- Natural patina. The green finish deepens with every season outside.
- Shallow, safe water. Never deep enough to be a danger to small birds.
- Easy to clean. Tip out, brush, refill. Done in a minute.
- Checked one by one. Every figure is inspected in Murray’s workshop before it leaves.
If Murray’s bird bath doesn’t win you over, one email to info@craft-folk.com is enough. He would rather have it back than see it sit in a shed.
Tip from Murray: Stand it on level ground in part shade, near a shrub, so small birds have cover close by. Change the water every day or two, and on a hot day top it up morning and afternoon.
Product details
| Contents | 1 seated leaf-maiden bird bath with built-in bowl |
| Material | Cast metal, bronze finish with natural verdigris patina |
| Colour | Dark bronze with soft blue-green verdigris gown |
| Size | About 35 cm tall; bowl holds about half a litre |
| For | Backyard birds — tūī, silvereyes, fantails, bellbirds, sparrows |
| Use | Outdoors — lawn, garden bed, verandah or pond edge |
| Care | Rinse and refill every day or two; no polishing needed |
| Made by | Murray Kinnaird, Alexandra — final pour, 49 remaining |
The Last Winter
The Last Winter
A note from the workshop:
Murray Kinnaird poured iron in a railway foundry in Dunedin for 39 years, then moved to Alexandra in Central Otago, the driest town in New Zealand. On the 30th of January 2018, the day Alexandra hit 38.7 degrees, he found a tūī standing in his bird bath with its beak open, ignoring the sugar water in the apricot tree. It wasn’t hungry. It was thirsty. So he cast a seated girl whose leafy dress becomes a shallow bowl, and let each one weather to green through a Central Otago winter of frost and fog. Summer starts on the 1st of December, and birds learn where the water is, so Murray says the time to put a bowl out is now, before the first hot spell. But his right shoulder has given out, and his surgeon has told him not to lift another crucible. 49 figures from his final pour are left in his mud-brick workshop. When they are gone, the furnace comes out for good.
Free NZ-Wide Shipping
Free NZ-Wide Shipping
Free shipping New Zealand-wide
- Delivery time: 3–7 business days
- Every bird bath is carefully packed and sent with tracking
- Arrives ready to use: set it on level ground and fill the bowl
- Size: about 35 cm tall, the bowl holds about half a litre
- 30-day money-back guarantee — just email info@craft-folk.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Email us anytime at info@craft-folk.com. We answer Monday–Friday 9am–5pm and Saturday 10am–3pm (New Zealand time). Whether it’s about your order, where to place your bird bath in the garden, or just to say kia ora — a real person writes back.
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Of course. 30-day money-back guarantee. Put it in the garden, watch the birds for a week, and if it isn’t right for you, email info@craft-folk.com within 30 days for a full refund. No questions, and shipping within New Zealand is free.
How is it made?
How is it made?
Murray packs each mould with sand by hand and pours the metal in a single pour, so the figure is one solid piece with no glued seams. He files every leaf edge himself. Then each figure stands outside through one Central Otago winter, and frost, fog and rain grow the soft green patina on their own, with no paint or chemicals. Every piece is checked in his workshop before it leaves. Small differences from figure to figure are part of the charm.