▁wine - cup ▁in ▁the ▁other . ▁ ▁Te chni que ▁With ▁the ▁in vention ▁of ▁h ollow ▁casting ▁bronze ▁became ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁medium ▁of ▁monument al ▁sculpt ure , ▁largely ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁strength ▁and ▁light ness , ▁which ▁admitted ▁pos es ▁that ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁possible ▁in ▁stone . ▁But ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁the ▁metal ▁in ▁later ▁ages ▁has ▁involved ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁nearly ▁all ▁such ▁stat ues . ▁The ▁few ▁complete ▁figures ▁that ▁surv ive , ▁and ▁a ▁somewhat ▁more ▁numerous ▁series ▁of ▁det ached ▁heads ▁and ▁portrait - b ust s , ▁att est ▁the ▁excell ence ▁of ▁ancient ▁work ▁in ▁this ▁material . ▁The ▁earliest ▁stat u ettes ▁are ▁ch is elled , ▁wr ought ▁and ▁w eld ed ; ▁next ▁in ▁time ▁come ▁solid ▁cast ings , ▁but ▁larger ▁figures ▁were ▁composed ▁of ▁ham mer ed ▁sections , ▁like ▁domestic ▁ut ens ils , ▁each ▁part ▁worked ▁separately ▁in ▁rep ouss é ▁and ▁the ▁whole ▁assemble d ▁with ▁riv ets ▁( σ φ υ ρ ή λ α τ α ). ▁Very ▁little ▁of ▁this ▁fl ims y ▁fabric ▁is ▁ext ant , ▁but ▁chance ▁has ▁preserved ▁one ▁b ust ▁entire , ▁in ▁the ▁Pol led r ara ▁T omb ▁at ▁V ul ci . ▁This ▁belongs ▁to ▁the ▁early ▁ 6 th ▁century ▁BC , ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁rep ouss é ▁work . ▁ ▁The ▁process ▁was ▁soon ▁su pers eded ▁in ▁such ▁subjects ▁by ▁h ollow ▁casting , ▁but ▁be aten ▁relief s ,