Tuesday is Arm Day – Our Alabaster Progress

Alabaster is a long-standing traditional art form native to the Tuscan region, and it is especially rooted in Volterra. Each year, we as students get the opportunity to work with this medium and contribute to the continuation of this historic craft. Although alabaster carving is considered a dying art form, it is still celebrated for its sheer-like quality and versatility. Alabaster is a soft, fine-grained stone composed of gypsum, or hydrated calcium sulfate. It is harvested in small underground nuggets, formed millions of years ago when large bodies of water once covered the land.

After touring multiple alabaster studios and shops with Giulia, our class was inspired to start our sculptures with sketching ideas, clay modeling, and finally transferring our designs onto stone. Traditionally, artists would fold pieces of paper into hats to wear in the studio to protect their hair, with each artist developing their own unique style. Our group is proud to showcase our own handmade alabaster artisan paper hats, continuing this small but meaningful tradition.

As carving progresses, it quickly becomes clear that working with alabaster is a workout. The constant sawing, chiseling, and sanding leaves us exhausted by the end of each class, but the hard work is well worth the reward. Every Tuesday, our class looks forward to returning to the alabaster studio to wear our paper hat uniforms and enjoy each others company.

Until next time,

The Volterra Group