Krofofrom, just about 45 minutes north of Kumasi, is a village of brass craftsmen who practice the art of lost-wax casting, a technique that goes back hundreds and hundreds of years. When we visited, we met with Akwasi Noreur who does his brass work in a small banana grove. Very patiently, Akwasi, who learned the trade form his father, explained to us how the seemingly magical process works: first, a wax model is made, and covered with ash and clay; once the clay hardens, the mold is put into the fire which causes the wax to melt (“be lost”); next, molten brass is poured into the now-empty mold; once cooled, the clay shell is broken and—tada!—your freshly-forged brass object is revealed. Read Less