carton pierre, papier pressé

Papier pressé was usually made of recycled materials. The paper pulp could be strenghtened by adding organic materials. The paper pulp was probably also bound with a binder (probably glue). It was then pressed in a mould. The material of the mould could vary (copper, pipe clay,...). The medaillon with the hunt for the unicorn was also executed in papier pressé. A reconstruction of these medaillon was made by making an model myself by creating the relief in pastiglia on a light weight clay. This clay was pressed in a hard clay to create a mould, so that the mould could be used to obtain a positive in the desired material. Also figures could be made of papier pressé. In the nineteenth century they made also sculptures out of papier press. One recipe mentions also the use of different kinds of paper that are stamped in tiny pieces and where additions of other materials to strengthen and thick the mass and to get sharper casts out of the mould. They also used carton romain.

the model, the mould and the medaillon in papier pressé

making of paper mass for the technique of papier pressé

carton pierre: made with a recipe from the nineteenth century