how to clean dusty bronze sculptures?

Use a soft bristle brush to work dust out of the crevices. Canned air works well for deep recesses where a cloth won't reach. A light coat of microcrystalline wax protects the patina once the dust is gone. Buff it gently with a soft cotton cloth.

My spelter figure has a grey powdery substance growing in the folds of the clothing, should I try to scrub it off with water?

Spelter suffers from a specific type of corrosion when exposed to damp conditions. You shouldn't use water because it accelerates the chemical reaction and damages the metal further. Keep the sculpture in a dry environment to stop the oxidisation from spreading. A dry nylon brush helps remove the loose powder safely.

why is the base hollow?

Foundries cast most domestic figures as hollow shells to save expensive metal. It also reduces the final weight for transport. Core material sits inside the mould during casting to form this hollow cavity.

I found a signature on the side of the base, does this mean the artist actually cast the piece themselves in their own workshop?

Signatures on antique metal sculptures usually indicate the sculptor who modelled the original clay or wax. They don't often cast the metal versions themselves. Most artists contracted commercial foundries to handle the industrial side of production. The foundry might add their own distinct stamp alongside the artist's signature. This separation of design and production was standard practice across the nineteenth-century bronze trade. Foundries employed specialist chasers to finish the artist's work.

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Antique Metal Sculptures

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Cast or wrought in bronze, iron, spelter, and brass, antique metal sculptures range from tabletop figural groups intended for domestic display to heavy architectural bronzes designed to weather outdoors.