How old is the lost-wax casting technique?
Lost-wax casting is approximately 6,500 years old. The oldest known examples are gold artefacts from Bulgaria's Varna Necropolis, dated to roughly 4550-4450 BC.
Questions about Lost-wax casting
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the lost-wax casting process step by step?
An artist creates an original model, a mould is made from it, and molten wax is poured inside to form a hollow wax copy. The copy is coated in a silica-based ceramic shell, then placed in a kiln where the wax melts out. Molten metal is poured into the resulting hollow shell, which is then broken away to reveal the casting.
What is the most famous example of lost-wax casting in Japan?
The bronze image of Buddha in the Todaiji monastery at Nara is the most famous Japanese example. It was cast in sections between 743 and 749 AD, reportedly using seven tons of wax.
When did West Africa begin using the lost-wax casting technique?
Cast bronzes made by the lost-wax process were being produced in Igboland (Igbo-Ukwu), Nigeria, by the 9th century AD. Yorubaland (Ife) followed in the 12th century, and the kingdom of Benin was producing portrait bronzes and reliefs by the 15th-16th centuries.
What is the lost-wax technique used for besides sculpture?
Lost-wax casting is used in dentistry to make gold crowns, inlays, and onlays, and some automobile manufacturers use a related lost-foam technique to cast engine blocks. The process can also be applied to the production of cast glass sculptures.
What is the oldest known lost-wax casting from South Asia?
The oldest known South Asian example is a wheel-shaped copper amulet from Mehrgarh, Pakistan, dated to around 4000 BC. The Indus Valley Civilization later produced the famous "dancing girl" bronze figurine from Mohenjo-daro, dated to 2300-1750 BC.