TINY bronze sculptures that fit into the palm of a hand are set to raise more than £150,000 when they are released to commemorate the outbreak of the First World War.

Called Never Forgotten, Hampshire sculptor Nic Joly uses the ultimate symbol of remembrance, the poppy, being raised up by two soldiers.

He has made 1,566 editions of the two-inch tall sculptures – marking every day the war was fought – which will be framed and sold for £695 each.

Daily Echo:

Each piece, made by the bronze lost wax process, will be labelled by day and date on the back with information about that day of the First World War.

His cousin, comedian Dom Joly, has already ordered his but is yet to decide on a particular day and date.

Nic, 41, and Castle Galleries are donating a total of £100 from each sale to the Royal British Legion, raising more than £150,000 to help support war veterans past and present.

An original he made was auctioned at a veterans' charity and raised £7,500.

This occurred after sharing the complete piece on social media as over 28,000 people shared the image.

Now the remainder will go on sale on August 4, exactly 100 years since Britain declared war on Germany when they refused to withdraw from Belgium.

All are handmade but dad-of-two Nic has found a way to speed up the process as each bronze sculpture is cast from an original using lost wax casting.

However, each individual piece takes five hours to paint, such is Nic’s dedication to the cause, and then placed carefully in a deep box frame.

Nic, who lives in Alresford with wife Nel, said: “There is information about a particular day on each sculpture.

“For example, the first sculpture about August 4 simply says ‘11:00 hours, outbreak of war’.

“Every day is covered, from the outbreak of the Battle of the Somme, the first time Germans used chemical gas and extracts from letters sent from the front line.

“People have started ordering specific days, like when their grandfather died, and asking for a dedication too.”

The former furniture maker started making miniature sculptures in 2004 but took it up full time in 2012, his work now in 78 galleries worldwide.

His initial inspiration for Never Forgotten came from a humbling meeting with a 96-year-old Second World War veteran.

Nic said: “It was amazing to hear what he went through at Arnhem, which is in the film A Bridge Too Far. He told me 25,000 British men went in a town that was tiny and 4,000 came out – and he was one of the survivors.

“He talked about his father in the First World War and his experiences – to think 18 million people died in those four years, it’s extraordinary.

“And this man told me ‘We were just doing our job’.

“In my own small way, I want this piece to remind us that all those who have given their lives, in conflicts from the First World War until the present day, will be Never Forgotten.”

The project is being fully supported by Washington Green art publishers and Castle Galleries, who will release the sculptures in a network of private galleries globally.