lost-wax casting

Examples of lost-wax casting in the following topics:

• Casting

  • Metal is one of the most common materials that artists cast, and the most common process used to cast metal is called the lost-wax casting process, variably known as lost-mold and waste-wax casting.
  • Lost-wax casting is the process of casting an artist's sculpture in a metal, such as gold, silver, bronze, or brass.
  • An ancient practice, the oldest examples of lost-wax casting have been found in India and date back nearly 5,000 years to the Harappan period.
  • Lost-wax casting was widespread in Europe until the 18th century at which point the piece-mold process came to dominate.
  • The resulting shell is then fired in a kiln allowing the wax to melt and run out.

• Etruscan Bronze Sculpture

  • Also known by its French name cire perdue, lost-wax casting is the oldest method of producing metal sculptures.
  • Of all metals, bronze is the most commonly cast.
  • In lost-wax casting, the sculptor begins by making a clay mold of the intended sculpture, coats it in wax, and applies an outer layer of plaster, fastening metal rods to hold the shell in place and wax rods to vent the mold.
  • Intense heat is then applied, causing the wax to melt and flow out of the mold.
  • Because the mold must be destroyed, sculptors use the lost-wax method to produce one-of-a-kind sculptures.

• The Benin Bronzes

  • Bronzes are believed to have been cast in Benin since the 13th century, and some of the Benin Bronzes in the collection date from the 15th and 16th centuries.
  • The metal pieces were made using lost-wax casting and are considered among the best sculptures made using this technique.
  • They were cast in matching pairs, although each was individually made.
  • The most notable aspect of the works is the high level of the great metal-working skill at lost-wax casting.
  • Modern-day view of bronze casting using the lost wax method.

• Romanesque Sculpture: Reiner of Huy

  • It was made by the lost-wax casting technique, with the basin cast in a single piece.
  • The size was not necessarily exceptional, as both church bells and cauldrons for large households were probably cast at comparable sizes; some church doors that were cast in a single piece, though flat, were much larger.
  • The font sat on twelve oxen (two of which are now missing) which emerged from a stone plinth, a reference to the "molten sea... on twelve oxen" that were cast in bronze for Solomon's temple.

• Renaissance Sculpture in Florence

  • He revived the lost wax casting of bronze, a technique which had been used by the ancients and subsequently lost.

• Minoan Sculpture

  • Bronze was an important material in Minoan culture and many figurines were produced in this medium, mostly created using the lost-wax casting technique.

• Sculpture of the Igbo-Ukwu

  • This was centuries before the production of other known bronzes of the region, making the Igbo culture the earliest known example of a bronze-casting society in the region.
  • Most bronze sculptures were made in stages using the lost wax technique, an ancient casting process commonly using wax.
  • Many of the castings integrated small decorative items and designs, showing the artisans' high level of skill.
  • The elaborate designs and casting in bronzes such as this one point to the Igbo people's high level of skill.

• Cast-Iron Architecture

  • Cast-iron architecture was a prominent style in the Industrial Revolution era when cast iron was relatively cheap, and modern steel had not yet been developed.
  • In the 1850s the cheapness and availability of cast iron led James Bogardus of New York City to advocate and design buildings using cast iron components.
  • Cast iron was also used widely in bridge construction for the new railway system, sometimes with horrific results, especially when cast iron girders were used instead of arches.
  • The whole train was lost with more than 75 passengers and crew .
  • The weakest parts of the bridge were cast iron lugs holding tie bars in place, and cast iron in new bridges was effectively abandoned after the disaster.

• Bronze Sculpture in the Greek Early Classical Period

  • The lost wax technique, which is also known by its French name, cire perdue, is the process that ancient Greeks used to create their bronze statues.
  • The wax mold would then be placed between the clay core and the clay mold, creating a pocket, and the wax would be melted out of the mold, after which the gap would be filled with bronze.
  • Because the clay mold must be broken when removing the figure, the lost wax method can be used only for making one-of-a-kind sculptures.
  • It was made by the lost wax technique in multiple sections and then assembled.
  • Both figures originally held a shield and spear, which are now lost.

• Modeling

  • Typical modeling materials include clay, plaster, wax, paper and papier-mache .
  • Oil-based clay is made from a combination of oils, waxes and clay minerals.
  • Oil-based clay is most often used to make molds which are then cast in more durable materials such as bronze.