Lost-Wax Casting

art · metalwork · ancient craft · sculpture

Wax Models Start. Artists create a detailed sculpture out of wax, which is easy to shape and perfect for adding tiny details that would be hard to carve from other materials.

Clay Shell Forms. The wax model gets dipped in liquid clay over and over until it's covered in a thick, hard shell, like building up layers of protection around it.

Wax Melts Away. The clay shell is heated in a kiln, and the wax inside melts and drains out completely, leaving behind an empty hollow space shaped exactly like the original sculpture.

Liquid Metal Poured. Hot melted metal like bronze is poured into the hollow clay mold, filling the exact space where the wax used to be and creating a perfect metal copy.

Exact Duplicate Made. Once the metal cools and the clay shell is broken away, you have an exact metal replica of the original wax sculpture, complete with all its tiny details.