Lincoln Life Mask Casting by the famous sculptor Leonard Volk Sculpture. Shortly before winning the Republican nomination for President, Lincoln paid several visits to artist Leonard Wells Volk. Though he found the process of letting wet plaster dry on his face followed by a skin-stretching removal process "anything but agreeable," Lincoln endured it with good humor. Upon seeing the finished product, he declared it, "the animal himself." Since ancient times, it's been traditional to make life and death castings of the faces of famous figures such as this Lincoln Life Mask. The 1860 mask by Leonard Volk was later used for a full-length statue for the Illinois State Capitol. This direct casting pays homage to the president's eloquent articulation of the nation's ideals. MADE IN USA