papier-mâché

Composite material used for molding objects; made of repulped or pulverized paper and a liquid adhesive binder. May also comprise strips of paper, sometimes reinforced with textiles, stuck together with a wet adhesive, and used to form an object. The object becomes solid when the paste dries; the object may then be sanded, lacquered, and painted. Such objects are very durable; they developed in Asia and were common in Europe and elsewhere since the 17th century.