<P> Lost - wax casting ( also called `` investment casting '' , `` precision casting '' , or cire perdue in French ) is the process by which a duplicate metal sculpture ( often silver , gold , brass or bronze ) is cast from an original sculpture . Dependent on the sculptor 's skills , intricate works can be achieved by this method . The oldest known examples of this technique are the objects discovered in the Cave of the Treasure ( Nahal Mishmar ) hoard in southern Israel , and which belong to the Chalcolithic period ( 4500 -- 3500 BC ) . Conservative estimates of age from carbon - 14 dating date the items to c. 3700 BC , making them more than 5700 years old . Though the process today varies from foundry to foundry , the steps used in casting small bronze sculptures are fairly standardized . ( In modern industrial use , the process is called investment casting . ) Variations of the process include : `` lost mould '' , which recognizes that materials other than wax can be used ( such as : tallow , resin , tar , and textile ) ; and `` waste wax process '' ( or `` waste mould casting '' ) , because the mould is destroyed to remove the cast item . Lost - wax casting was widespread in Europe until the 18th century , when a piece - moulding process came to predominate . </P>
<P> Lost - wax casting ( also called `` investment casting '' , `` precision casting '' , or cire perdue in French ) is the process by which a duplicate metal sculpture ( often silver , gold , brass or bronze ) is cast from an original sculpture . Dependent on the sculptor 's skills , intricate works can be achieved by this method . The oldest known examples of this technique are the objects discovered in the Cave of the Treasure ( Nahal Mishmar ) hoard in southern Israel , and which belong to the Chalcolithic period ( 4500 -- 3500 BC ) . Conservative estimates of age from carbon - 14 dating date the items to c. 3700 BC , making them more than 5700 years old . Though the process today varies from foundry to foundry , the steps used in casting small bronze sculptures are fairly standardized . ( In modern industrial use , the process is called investment casting . ) Variations of the process include : `` lost mould '' , which recognizes that materials other than wax can be used ( such as : tallow , resin , tar , and textile ) ; and `` waste wax process '' ( or `` waste mould casting '' ) , because the mould is destroyed to remove the cast item . Lost - wax casting was widespread in Europe until the 18th century , when a piece - moulding process came to predominate . </P>
the lost-wax technique pertains to which sculpture process
the lost-wax technique pertains to which sculpture process
casting
casting