Lost-wax casting is best described as

• A. Carving directly from wax
• B. Pouring metal into a mold using wax
• C. Creating a metal copy from an original sculpture using a wax model
• D. Casting using a clay mold

Answer: (C)

Lost-wax casting uses a wax model as the master pattern to create a metal copy. You first shape the original sculpture in wax, capturing fine detail. That wax model is then encased in a heat-resistant material to form a mold. The wax is melted out, leaving a cavity in the shape of the sculpture, and molten metal is poured into that cavity. After the metal cools and the mold is removed, you finish the piece. So the process centers on making a metal replica from a wax pattern, with the wax being the pattern that is replaced by metal.