Casting turns molten metal into a shape by pouring it into a prepared cavity. The model may be wax, wood, clay, or another material; the mold can be one-piece, multi-piece, or investment. Casting is useful for complex forms such as animal-shaped vessels, candlesticks, handles, finials, fittings, lamps, incense burners, and instrument parts.

A cast object normally needs finishing. Sprues are cut away, seams are filed, holes are drilled, surfaces are scraped or lathe-turned, and details are sharpened by chasing. Inlay channels, inscriptions, and black compound are often added after the body exists. Casting is therefore an early stage, not the whole technique.

Look for seam lines, asymmetry, casting bubbles, repairs, differences between separately cast parts, and chased details that refine the surface. A cast object may look smooth today because many finishing steps erased the roughness of the mold.