Hello & welcome to Circular Business Podcast’s special edition of weekly gupshup with the Circular collective, I’m your host and dost Sreepriya Sridharan and today we'll discuss the ancient casting method of lost-wax technique and understand its relevance to circular design methods with Vikas Dargan from The Circular Collective. Vikas is an Architect ,a cultural professional and Anant fellow, who is passionately working towards craft revival and rural livelihood generation.

Lost wax casting, which is also known as cire-perdue, process attained after a thorough modification over centuries and is believed to be more than 5000 years old.

The history of metals and their shaping is as ancient as the history of civilization. The lost wax casting technique is a method of metal casting, in which hot metal is poured into a wax model, which is ‘lost’ during the process and the wax is retrieved to be used again.

Evidence of the technique can be tracked in the iconic “Dancing Girl” bronze sculpture, made in 2500 BCE in Mohenjo-Daro, to its extensive use during the rule of the Chola dynasty of Southern India (c. 850 CE - 1250 CE). Also, during the medieval period, Chamba valley was an important political and artistic centre, therefore attracted masters from the region including Kashmir valley to adapt the technique for their unique detailing and craftsmanship of Mohra icons. The technique revolutionized the production and utilization of ritualistic and utility items. It enabled to conveniently take idols out of temples for ritual processions and empowered craftsperson to cast complex designs with intricate detailing.

The extensive use of such rigorous but efficient method is in itself a reflection of the ancient cultural values prevailing in those times. The process being circular in nature justifies its continued use till present times. 'Maduchchista vidhana' refers to 'lost wax' casting technique as per Rig Veda. .

The casting process starts by preparation of the wax model of the figurine. Agama Shastra is used for reference for the size and structure of the figure. That includes using a ribbon of coconut tree for Measurements are folded to different lengths in proportion to the various parts of the figure. Locally acquired bee wax is mixed with resin and groundnut oil. The wax is then used to make the figure and intricate details are added onto it. Once the wax model is dried, it is covered with fine loam or alluvial soil and allowed to dry naturally. Orifices are then made on the mold for pouring the molten metal and draining of the molten wax and gases formed during casting. After completely dried, another layer of clay mixed with cow dung, charcoal, paddy husk and sand is applied and dried under sunlight for 3 days. Further, the mould is reinforced with metal wires so that it doesn’t break while casting. The dried mold is then set on fire for melting the wax inside and the molten wax is retrieved in a vessel for reuse.

Keyword : What is a circular economy?

Reach out to us on LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter