The workshop has been at the same location for more than 130 years and plaster replicas can still be made using the moulds in the traditional manner. There are two traditional methods which can be applied:

    The piece-mould method is the older technique and is a negative representation of a cast from the original. For a simple statuette or bas-relief a singular piece-mould is sufficient. For taller or more complex forms, with several figures, a base, a rock, attributes, extended arms, fingers, legs, antlers horns, various moulds are needed. The different parts are assembled afterwards.

The plaster cast workshop around 1900

    A piece-mould is a rigid plaster mould that consists of a puzzle of small pieces connected by „locks“ and held together in a supporting shell. The pieces allow to demould forms with undercuts, for
example in the case of the human ear, curls or draped folds. Plaster is then applied in several layers. Once the new plaster cast has dried the surface is then reworked, as the grouting between the joined

pieces of the mould will have left raised lines on the surface.  The
advantage of the laborious piece-mould method is its longevity. 150 year-old moulds are still in use today.

    Flexible gelatine moulds have been in use since the end of the 19th century. This procedure involves pouring gelatine between a positive model and a supporting shell.  When dry, this results in a flexible membrane which is a perfect negative imprint of the model and can, in its turn produce a limited number of copies. The advantage of this method is that it allows to reproduce more tiny and detailed forms. Moreover, because the membrane is in one piece, the method requires less reworking of the surface afterwards.

The plaster cast workshop today

    Next to the two traditional methods, a more modern method is applied as well. It makes use of the flexible silicone-mould, in which a silicone membrane is supported by a plaster shell. This modern method is less time-consuming than the traditional techniques, but its disadvantage is the short lifespan of the mould.