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 Akw...
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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.
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