The technique of creating pâte-de-verre glass products was most developed in the 19th century in France, although its techniques were known in earlier times. In our time, work in this technique is rare. But there is a glass factory in China that uses techniques invented by French glassmakers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. To create color transitions and effects in the product, colored glass crumbs are used, which are poured or poured into a mold in the form of a finely ground powder diluted with water or an adhesive solution.
For the production of such figured products, Chinese craftsmen use the technology of “melting wax”. René Lalique experimented a lot with this technology at the beginning of the 20th century. His most interesting and valuable works were created in the technique of melting wax. Lalique borrowed the idea from master casters and applied it to create his glass masterpieces.
At the initial stage, the master creates a prototype of the future product from clay or modeling plastic. The prototype is used to create an outer silicone mold, which is then filled with melted wax. The wax model is removed from the silicone mold after the wax has hardened, poured with a solution of refractory material and placed in an oven. The heat causes the wax to melt and flow out of the pre-drilled holes. This step is called deparaffinization. When the wax completely flows out, a hollow form of refractory material is obtained, and glass raw materials are laid in this form. In the next step, the mold filled with glass is placed in the kiln. After cooling, the outer mold is broken into pieces to obtain a product that is left to be washed and polished.
