This method uses fine glass frit or powder mixed with a liquid binder, such as gum arabic, to form a workable paste. The artist tamps this paste into the walls of a refractory mold, allowing for precise placement of different colors. During firing, the binder burns away and the glass particles fuse together, resulting in a piece with a distinct, sugary texture and translucent depth.
Heard on the job
I'm packing the pâte de verre into the plaster silica mold carefully to keep the blue and green frits from mixing.