papier mache
Preserved but no longer current.
Pulped paper mixed with glue, or layers of paper glued to- gether and while pliable moulaed to form various articles and ornaments. When dry the material becomes hard and strong. Lacquered, and often inlaid with mother o* pearl, papier mach6 articles were greatly in vogue in early and mid- Victorian times. In 1772 Henry Clay, of Birmingham, used it in coach-building; in 1845 it was first employed for architectural mouldings, etc.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “papier mache” mean?
Pulped paper mixed with glue, or layers of paper glued to- gether and while pliable moulaed to form various articles and ornaments. When dry the material becomes hard and strong. Lacquered, and often inlaid with mother o* pearl, papier mach6 articles were greatly in vogue in early and mid- Victorian times. In 1772 Henry Clay, of Birmingham, used it in coach-building; in 1845 it was first employed for architectural mouldings, etc.
Is “papier mache” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.