The Tuareg, a nomadic people from Sahara also known as the blue people, have a long tradition in the lost wax technique.This is a very traditional technique that utilizes materials that are widely available in their environment. It has remained unaltered over the ages. 

The materials that are required for the creation of the crucible and mold, where the molten metal will be poured are clay, horse dung, coal  and water. The horse dung must be dry and should be ground by hand. The coal should be finely ground into a powder.  When these materials are mixed with water they create a malleable mixture used to create the cast that will be placed under the sun to dry and harden. The use of coal helps the cast to withstand higher temperatures, depending on the type of metal used.

The proportion of the materials used are never exact but are empirically applied. The mixture must reach a stage where it does not stick to the hands. For the creation of the cast the same mixture will be used but without the coal because the object cast will not be exposed to high temperatures. The mixture will be divided in parts and will be kept in a humid environment in order to avoid drying. The object being cast will be created by beeswax but may be also created by mineral wax. The wax is pressed in such a way as to avoid the creation of air bubbles. The object will be continuously immersed in water in order to harden and to preserve the decorative motifs. These forms and motifs are created with the use of a heated fine instrument such as a thin knife or a needle.

In order to avoid leaving visible fingerprints on the object we immerse it in hot water.for a few seconds. In the next step the object is covered with a layer of clay while leaving a duct for the molten wax to escape from and for the molten metal to enter. It is then placed under the sun to dry.

The fire is then lit in a pit and is preserved with the use of a bellows, in order to reach the desired temperature required for the smelting of the metal in use. The smelter with the pieces of metal is placed in the center of the fire and covered with coal in order to reach the maximum temperature. The cast is also placed on the fire for the wax to melt and exit the cast. The wax is not discarded but exits into a vessel filled with water so that it may be re-used. When the metal is molten the cast is handled with tongs and the metal is poured in through the duct. This step must be executed quickly as the metal solidifies fast. After the cast is split the finishing touches are applied to the object