Plaster
Building material used for interiors, decoration, and medical casts.
Plaster is a building material typically used for cladding on interior walls, pool interiors, ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. The most common types mainly contain either gypsum, lime, or cement, and are manufactured as a dry powder mixed with water to form a workable paste that hardens through crystallization. Plaster has been used for at least 5,000 years, first in the Middle East, and has applications in medicine, dentistry, and art, including as the matrix for fresco painting.
- First used
- At least 5,000 years ago
- Region of origin
- Middle East
- Common types
- Gypsum, lime, cement
- Also known as
- Plaster of Paris (gypsum type)
- Related terms
- Render (external), stucco (exterior mixture)
- Key property
- Hardens through crystallization with water
Lore & Background
Plaster was first used as a building material and for decoration in the Middle East at least 5,000 years ago. In Egypt, gypsum was burned in open fires, crushed into powder, and mixed with water to create plaster, used as mortar between pyramid blocks and for smooth wall facings. In Jericho, human skulls were decorated with plaster and painted to appear lifelike. The Romans brought plaster-work techniques to Europe.
Reader's Guide
Plaster's significance lies in its versatility and long history as a building and decorative material. It has been used for interior wall cladding, moulding, and casting for millennia, with evidence from ancient Egypt and Jericho. The material's ability to be worked while wet and hardened through crystallization made it essential for both structural and aesthetic purposes, though it is preferable for finishing rather than load-bearing. Its legacy includes medical orthopedic casts, dental models, and fresco painting, where pigments fuse with wet lime plaster. Clay plaster, one of the earliest types, was widely used in colonial America and German settlements like Old Economy Village, but fell out of favor with the rise of lime and gypsum plasters. Despite its decline, clay plaster survives in historic buildings, offering a hand-made alternative to modern finishes.
Did You Know?
- Plaster was used in ancient Egypt as mortar between pyramid blocks and for smooth wall facings.
- In Jericho, human skulls were decorated with plaster and painted to appear lifelike.
- The name 'plaster of Paris' comes from gypsum deposits at Montmartre in Paris.
- Clay plaster was used in the American colonies and at Old Economy Village in Pennsylvania.
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