This volume originates from an international conference held at Oxford University in 2007. Texts by classical archaeologists, art historians, students of the history of collecting, curators, conservators and artists address objects and themes from antiquity to the present day, ancient Egypt to 20th-century Mexico and contemporary Europe. They explore status, reception and functionsof casts as well as hands-on issues, such as the making, trading, display and conservation of plaster casts. A handbook for students, academics, curators and collectors, the text will become a standard work on the role of plaster casts in the history of Western sculpture.