Lost Wax Casting based on the Ashanti technique in Ghana

Course description:
This 8-day course introduces us to the fascinating world of a casting technique that is around 6,000 years old. Using the simplest of tools, magically beautiful jewelry, amulets, and small sculptures can be created from copper and precious metal alloys. Each unique piece is shaped from wax and coated with clay, charcoal, and horse manure in a laborious, manual process. Then, it is fired and cast. The course takes place at Haxthäuserhof, not far from Frankfurt.

Course instructor:
Moritz Ganzoni - Thanks to his decades of experience, Moritz can execute almost any casting flawlessly. His commitment to perfecting his technique and passing on his knowledge makes him an expert in ASHANTI casting.

Martina Solovicova - She studied jewelry design and works on her jewelry collections in a small studio in Vienna. During her studies, she explored the ASHANTI casting technique intensively and researched it for her thesis. She expanded her knowledge with Moritz Ganzoni. This experience has given her jewelry a new dimension and deepened her understanding of the technique's sophistication.

Course content:
Detailed introduction to the ASHANTI casting technique - Production of solid and hollow castings - Construction of cores and wax models - Attaching the casting channels and core supports - Molding the models into the clay-charcoal layers - Casting the molds in a charcoalfired kiln.


Participation and costs:

• Course start: Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 9:00 a.m.
• Course end: Tuesday, July 28, 2026, 2:00 p.m.
• Requirement: Very good craftsmanship skills required
• Workshop cost: €1440 including VAT, including all materials, tin bronze, brass, and copper, excluding precious metals
• Accommodation cost: Not included, must be arranged privately
• Cost of food and non-alcoholic beverages: Approx. 25 euros/day, shared cash box to be agreed upon at the start of the course
• Number of participants: Minimum 11, maximum 14 people
• Registration and reservation: Reservation with payment of half the course fee. The full course fee is due on June 19, 2026.
• Registration deadline: May 31, 2026
• Cancellation of the course by participants: For cancellations up to June 19, 2026, 20% of the course fee will be charged if no replacement participant can be found.
• What to bring: Tools and precious metals (silver and gold alloys), cotton clothing, and sturdy shoes for working with fire.

Further information:
If the minimum number of participants is not reached or if the course is cancelled for unforeseen reasons, the course fee already paid will be refunded. No liability is accepted for any further costs. All insurance must be taken
out by the course participants themselves. At the end of the course, participants will receive certificates, brochures with recipes, and construction plans. Course and meal times will be adjusted depending on the weather and level of participation. Meals will be prepared alternately by the course participants and instructors and eaten together. For overnight stays, rooms can be booked in the apartment belonging to the Haxthäuserhof, in a nearby vacation apartment, or in surrounding hotels. It is also possible to camp on the property or stay in a motorhome. Course participants staying at the Haxthäuserhof can arrive as early as July 20, 2026, from 5:00 p.m.