Developing "Pâte de Verre" multi-layered sculptures cast in ceramic fiber molds

Abstract EN

This research explains the "Pâte de Verre" technique, which is a French term literally translated as Glass Paste, used for producing sculptures; it originated in Ancient Egypt and was revived through the 19th century in France.

The Pâte de Verre sculptures, developed by producing a thin layered glass shape, packed on a mold, or a solid glass piece, cast by filling refractory-plaster molds.

This research aims at explaining the Pâte de Verre forming techniques and introduces the common glass frit composition, and reveals its casting possibilities using Ceramic Fiber molds, to produce multi-layered elaborated and delicate sculptures, which could have never been produced using the common rigid refractory molds.

The main advantage presented lies on the freedom of exploring the potentialities of cast generate three-dimensional glass shapes that can be materialized with ceramic fiber molds.