Pate de verre is a form of glass making that involves taking small particles of glass and mixing them with a combining element (generally a type of wax or flux) and adding water to form a “paste.” The paste is then applied in layers into a mould that will give this glass its final shape. This technique has existed since the times of ancient Egypt and was reinvented during the nineteenth century by French glass workers.
Items created in the form of pate de verre are very lustrous, translucent, and are generally colored. Due to the delicate nature of this type of glasswork, pieces are generally restricted to being only ornamental in nature.
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Artists that created works using this technique almost never used the exact same mixture, so there are several terms that are used to describe pate de verre objects. Pate de Cristal is the second most common term applied to 19th century paste glass pieces.
Pate de verre is extremely difficult and time consuming to create because the paste is highly volatile and can easily be ruined during the heating phase of creation. As such, the final product is generally pricey, whether the piece is antique or contemporary.
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