Lost-wax casting, seen up close

Lost-wax casting — cire perdue — is among the oldest and most demanding of the metal arts. A model is formed in wax, encased, then burned out so molten alloy can take its place.

Up close, the method leaves its signature: the fine seams where mould sections met, the sprues trimmed after pouring, the individual touch of a modelled detail that no mould could repeat.

These are the details we bring the camera to. They are how a cast work is read, dated and distinguished — and why each piece in the collection is documented at this level of magnification.