Pergamon in Plaster

In the 19th century, moulding sculptures or persons in plaster was considered a high art.

The Berliner Gipsformerei has an extremely valuable stock of over 7,000 moulds. Among them are a master model of the David by the Renaissance artist Donatello or moulds of the famous ancient Pergamon frieze. The collection of the Berliner Gipsformerei also includes live casts of people from the colonial period, which are now being scientifically examined for the first time. These so-called anthropological facial casts were made around 1880 by explorers in Africa, Asia and Oceania in order to typologize people. The Berliner Gipsformerei - as an active manufactory as well as a hoard of a valuable collection - is also facing up to this currently controversial heritage.