Gallery
Natural honeycombs, honey, and beeswax in an empty box, 2016. Photo: Imagic Elements / Alamy.
Detail, Charles-Louis Baugniet (1814–1886), The Letter, ca. 1870. Photo: 916 collection / Alamy.
Master of Herculaneum (1st century), A young woman with book and stylus (so-called Sappho), ca. 50. Found in the collection of the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. Photo: © Fine Art Images / Heritage Images, Heritage Image Partnership Ltd / Alamy.
“The time has come,” the walrus said, “to talk of many things: of shoes and ships— and sealing wax—of cabbages and kings.”
—Lewis Carroll
UNESCO World Heritage, Thebes in Egypt, Assassif (part of the Valley of the Nobles), Tomb of Pabasa. A rare scene of beekeeping: pouring milk, 2015. Photo: Alain Guilleux / Alamy.
Medardo Ross, Behold the Boy (Ecce Puer), 1906 / cast ca. 1958–1959. Beeswax over plaster. 17 1/4" x 13 3/4" x 10 3/8". Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966.
Ray Leighton (Australian, 1917–2002), Surf Sirens, Manly Beach, New South Wales, ca. 1940. Gelatin silver and selenium toned print on archival paper. National Library of Australia, pic Drawer pm 3491 #pic/p2092/4.
She’s my Honolulu Lulu, queen of the surfer girls
I tell you once upon a time,
you know she got a little bold
When she tried to hook a spinner
but her wax wouldn’t hold
Over the falls ’stead of hangin’ ten
But then she’d paddle out and try it again
—Jan and Dean
A waxwork mould of an equestrian statue section, before casting. Moule en cire d’une portion de statue équestre avant coulée, 2007. Photo: Emmanuel lattes / Alamy.
German School (19th century), Death mask of Ludwig van Beethoven, 1827. Wax. Bridgeman Images.
Viennese, Set of nine wax plaques showing fetal development and female anatomy, 1801–1830. Wax. Science Museum Group Collection, © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, a600051 pt2. Shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (cc by-nc-sa 4.0) license. https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co96249/wax-plaque-showing-foetus-in-thewomb.
Magical disc, 16th century. Wax. 9 1/8" (diam.). Wax disc engraved with magical figures and names; used by Doctor Dee when consulting “shew stones” or magic mirror. © The Trustees of the British Museum, 1838, 1232.90.a. Shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (cc by-nc-sa 4.0) license.
James Usher, Royal wax seal for Usher’s steam plough model, 1849. Wax. Science Museum Group, © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, 1960-213/3. Credit: J. H. Shackle. Shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (cc by-nc-sa 4.0) license. https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org. uk/objects/co8640070/royal-wax-seal-for-ushers-steam-plough-model.
You know the king would put the truth on wax.
—Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Ukrainian, The Easter egg is decorated with a pattern using a wax-resist method and bleaching, 2017. Photo: OlegMit / Alamy.
Mix of eggs with traditional designs, 2013. Photo: Miroslava Lipa / Alamy.
L.C. Handy Studio, Hendley, John. Wax worker, Agriculture Dept. (His art died with him), published between 1890 and 1910. Digital file from original wet collodion glass negative. Brady-Handy photograph collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Purchase; Alice H. Cox and Mary H. Evans; 1954, lc-bh833- 44 [P&P].
Aurelien Guichard (London, United Kingdom), “A pound of flesh for 50p (The Melting House)” by Alex Chinneck, Merge Festival, 2014; image taken 2014. Digital image of paraffin wax, terracotta, and roofing materials. Photo: Aurelien Guichard. cc by-sa 2.0, https://commons. wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63445375
Yellow lava lamp, 2019. Photo: Dennis Pommes / Alamy.
Cheeses piled high on a shelf in a market in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2010. Photo: Yehoshua Halevi / Alamy.
Thanapol Kuptanisakorn, Swan, showing texture from Thai carving candle festival, 2012. Photo: Thanapol Kuptanisakorn / Alamy.
Thread for leather craft, 2013. Photo: leungchopan, ay Media as / Alamy.
Edison Record phonograph cylinder in cardboard tube, ‘Secret Love Gavotte’ performed by Albert Benzler, by the National Phonograph Co., 1900–1902. Cylindrical phonograph record, one of ten. Science Museum Group, © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, 1973-324/9. Mrs. M. Elliott. Shared under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (cc by-nc-sa 4.0) license.
Andreas Roth, Picture of Frederick III. or Frederick I, end of 17th century. Wax and glass. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Skulpturensammlung and Museum of Byzantine Art / Antje Voigt cc by-sa 4.0.
Rashid Johnson, Cosmic Slop “Prospect Park,” 2013. Black soap, wax. 247.7 x 308.6 x 8.3 cm / 97 1/2 x 121 1/2 x 3 1/4 inches. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Gift of Amoli Foundation Ltd (M.2021.86). © Rashid Johnson. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth.
Pierre Imans (French, 20th century), Bust, ca.1910. Wax, painted, residual hair, silk ribbon, cotton net, and resin. Credit: Fashion Museum Bath. © Fashion Museum Bath / Bridgeman Images.
Tim Kramer, 5x World Champion, Patrick Fete and his perfect English mustache, after getting a perfect score from the judges at the 2023 World Beard and Mustache Championship in Burghausen, Germany, 2023. Image courtesy of Tim Kramer and Death Grip Wax.
Local batik workshop, artist demonstration on how to paint cloth with hot wax on copper, Banjul, Gambia, 2010. Photos: Cindy Hopkins / Alamy.
Local batik workshop, artist demonstration on how to paint cloth with hot wax on copper, Banjul, Gambia, 2010. Photos: Cindy Hopkins / Alamy.
Wax paper, 2025. Image courtesy: Wynne Patterson.
Miner, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Mountains, Utah. Photo, private collection.
