Page 28 - Deydier VOL.2 Meiyintang Collection of Chinese Bronses

Lost wax casting
This technique was first utilized in China around the 5 century bc. It consisted
th
of:

1. Making a wax model on a brick-clay core of the same size as the desired
bronze vessel.
2. The decoration was then either carved by hand or stamp printed with the
aid of a matrix, which was usually the case for the repetitive motifs of the
Warring States period.
3. Once the decoration was completed, the wax object was bathed, once, with
a small layer of liquid clay containing a resistant substance, then with
several small layers of regular clay which thus formed a covering around
the vessel.
4. On contact, the liquid bronze poured into the space between the core and
the outer covering caused the wax to melt and escape through special
openings left in the outer covering by the craftsman and simultaneously
filled the space left between the matrix and the outer clay covering and
took the form of the desired object.
5. After the metal cooled off, the mold around the bronze vessel was broken
off, freeing the bronze vessel, which was retouched and manually finished
wherever necessary.

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