Ceramic shell of back of Transcendent Christ, showing cup and gating

This wax casting is coated with a ceramic slurry to create a copy of the sculpture.  The wax is melted out of the ceramic shell, and bronze is poured into its place.  For each edition of a piece, the process of creating a wax casting and its heat-resistant outer shell is repeated.

In the last stages of the process, the ceramic shell is removed, and the pieces of the sculpture are welded together.  The surface of the sculpture is chased again.  Welds are ground down.  Hammers and chisels restore texture over welded and ground areas.  Finally a patina, or surface coating, is applied and the final piece is mounted on a base.