Lost-wax casting is described as:

• A. A direct carving method used for wood sculpture
• B. A method of making metal sculpture using a clay core and wax coating placed in a mold
• C. A plaster casting technique
• D. A method of bronze patination

Answer: (B)

Lost-wax casting reproduces metal sculpture by creating a model in wax, encasing it in a mold, melting the wax away, and pouring metal into the resulting cavity. A clay core can be used inside the wax pattern to shape hollow forms and provide support before the mold is made. This description fits best because it centers on the wax model inside a mold that ultimately becomes a metal piece, capturing the essential sequence of wax pattern, investment, and casting. Other options describe methods that aren’t about the wax model in a mold—direct carving applies to wood, plaster casting is a different process, and patination refers to surface finishing rather than the casting method itself.