| After pouring -- and after the casting material has had 24 hours or so to dry and harden, the two halves of the mould are opened up, the rubber interior peeled open, and the casting extracted. Here the white (as yet unpainted) casting can be seen lying beside the mould from which it has just been removed. If you look closely, you can see a metal rod sticking out horizontally from the lion's back. This connects inside the lion with another metal rod running vertically from the feet to the head. The free end of the horizontal rod will later connect in turn with the centrepiece of the table. Thus the casting material is reinforced and strengthened by this internal load-bearing metal "bone structure".
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