Tang Dynasty Horse, Bronze Sculpture, 9"H x 4.5"D x 5"W 8 lbs This bronze sculpture was produced using the "Lost Wax" casting method. The"Lost Wax" Cast method is the most precise metal casting technique in existence, ensuring exquisite detail of the original host model which is usually sculpted in clay or wax. This "Lost Wax" casting method is an extremely labor intensive and expensive process, but the end results produce a Heirloom Quality Masterpiece!Antoine-louis Barye (1796 - 1875) Originally trained as a goldsmith, Antoine-Louis Barye served in Napoleon's army before studying sculpture and painting. He entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1818 and adapted the romantic-style subject matter of violent and majestic animals. After his crocodile-like sculpture entitled Tiger Devouring a Gavail, won a medal at the Salon of 1831, Barye became a successful and independent sculptor and painter. His animal sculptures competed at the Salon alongside the more traditional and revered human figures. In 1845, Barye began a foundry that produced smaller and more affordable bronze statues. He was appointed the keeper of plaster casts at the Louvre and professor of zoological drawing at the Musee National d'Histoire Naturelle, both in Paris. Elected to the Academie in 1868, Barye inspired a later generation of animal sculptors who called themselves the animaliers.