Plastercasts
Plaster casts and the diffusion of Classical Art
How casts are made
- Traditional method
- Modern method
History of the cast collection
Ashmolean Museum casts

Traditional method - make a cast

Cast of a statuette of Herakles, with its partially disassembled piece mould.
Photograph: Ian Hiley, Beazley Archive

The pieces of the mould are fitted together and a metal armature is inserted to strengthen the final cast. The cast is made by carefully pouring plaster of Paris into the tightly assembled piece mould, which is turned and moved to prevent the formation of air bubbles. After 45 minutes the pieces of the mould can be removed and the plaster cast left to dry.