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The final texture of a sculpture can preserve evidence of the tools used on it.
Chisels, abrasives, drills, and other tools leave different types of marks.
Specialists can examine these marks to understand how an artist or craftsperson worked the material.
Some surfaces were intentionally polished while others were deliberately left rough.
The contrast can be part of the artistic design.
A sculpture therefore preserves not only its final shape but also traces of the physical actions that created it.
Looking closely at the surface can reveal the history of its making.
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art