Lost-Wax Casting: 12 Steps of an Intangible Cultural Heritage

Lost-wax casting, a Chinese intangible cultural heritage spanning thousands of years, dates back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties and represents the pinnacle of bronze casting craftsmanship. BRONZE AGE adheres strictly to this technique, with each collectible undergoing 12 handcrafted steps.

The Twelve Steps in Detail

1. Careful Selection of Copper Ore — Strict selection of high-quality copper ore, testing for copper content and impurities
2. Alloy Preparation — Alloying copper and tin according to traditional formulas to ensure texture and durability of the finished product
3. Wax Model Creation — Artisans hand-carve wax models, faithfully reproducing the original artifact's patterns and form in a 1:1 scale
4. Investment Shell Creation — Enclosing the wax model in refractory clay to form a casting mold
5. High-Temperature Dewaxing — Heating at high temperatures to melt out the wax, creating a hollow investment shell
6. Casting Pouring — Pouring high-temperature molten bronze into the investment shell using traditional casting techniques
7. Cooling and Decasting — After natural cooling, breaking the investment shell to retrieve the raw bronze piece
8. Cutting and Trimming — Cutting off sprues and initial shaping of the exterior
9. Hand Polishing — Artisans meticulously hand-polish the surface, refining intricate details
10. Detail Carving and Finishing — Secondary carving and finishing of detailed patterns
11. Traditional Patination — Using natural mineral pigments for coloring and natural oxidation to recreate the patina of millennia
12. Finished Product Quality Inspection — Comprehensive quality inspection to ensure patterns, dimensions, and surface meet standards before leaving the factory

Bronze Culture Education

Bronze ware is an important symbol of Chinese civilization, with bronze casting reaching extremely high levels during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Patterns such as the taotie mask, cloud and thunder patterns, and cicada patterns on bronze vessels all contain rich cultural connotations and aesthetic value.