Spotlight on Technique 8 Cast Metalwork

ARTS 1A: Spotlight on Technique 8
Cast Metalwork
Watch the video, “Silversmithing, part 3: Casting Silver,” and address the following
questions in your notebook.

In parts 1 and 2 of this video series (which we did not watch), a wax model was
constructed by the artist and a clay mold was made to cover it. At the beginning of
“Silversmithing, part 3: Casting Silver,” you see artists heating the clay mold, which causes
the wax model to melt. This leaves a hollow cavity in the shape of the wax model inside
the mold.
1. After molten silver is poured into the clay mold and it hardens, how does the
artist get the silver sculpture out of the mold?
2. In a cast metal sculpture, what do we call the flow tubes or passageways for air
to escape? (These allow molten metal to reach the cavity originally occupied by
a wax model.)
3. Consider how many people are involved in the production of the horse and
rider. Why do you think metal casting is an activity that an artist rarely
undertakes alone?
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