A float mount sets the art above the mat, leaving its edges — often deckled, hand-torn, or painted — fully visible. It's the right choice for works on handmade paper, prints with bleed, and anything where the edge is part of the image.
The technique hinges on hinges. We use Japanese tissue adhered with wheat-starch paste, a reversible, archival combination that holds the work gently and releases cleanly even a century later. The hinges attach to a backing of cotton rag, never to the mat itself.
Done well, a float mount looks effortless — the work simply hovers. Done poorly, it puckers, sags, or bonds irreversibly to the backing. The difference is entirely in the hands and the paste.
