Don’t call these statues knockoffs. They’re made of plaster, molded directly from the originals: Imagine smoothing a layer of plaster over Venus de Medici and precisely copying every sculptural detail.

Such are the thousands of ­old-world museum-quality ­replicas crowded inside an unassuming office building in ­Woburn, the home of Giust ­Gallery.

Their caretaker and craftsman, Robert Shure, has ­invested decades of study and conservation in these plaster casts, one of the only remaining reproduced sculpture collections in the country.

“People walk and say, ‘Oh my God, it’s like walking into Italy.’ It’s like nothing else around. There aren’t a lot of traditional studios left of our scope, and only a handful of companies like us that do high-quality plaster copies,’’ said Shure.

“There’s something magical about the process of plaster casing. When you peel it out of the mold, it’s almost like giving birth.

“Plaster has been used to replicate art works since antiquity, with casts of Renaissance and medieval works being a vital part of museum and private collections.

“The Italian craftsman Pietro Caproni was one of the last artisans who was allowed to go into museums like the Louvre and British Museum and actually make molds directly from the masterpieces.

“He came to Boston in the 1900s to cast and house his reproductions, and the Caproni Gallery became the leading art gallery of its kind in the world.

“Some of his original molds survive to this day, and I have inherited the Caproni Collection. These copies are so true, it’s like seeing the original.

“In the last few years, there’s been a resurgence in the classics, and we still make these plaster castings the same way it’s been done for centuries.

“I am always looking for first-generation Caproni casts; we restore and remodel them and add to our collection of over 2,000 pieces. I use silicon rubber for plaster and casting still takes a great deal of physical strength. I am a slave to plaster, because it’s a funny material; it has to be maneuvered before the liquid sets up to be hard.

“These reproductions that exist have increasing value, because in many cases, the original has deteriorated because of acid rain and elements. And for Syrian and Assyrian pieces being destroyed by the war on terror, in many cases a Caproni copy still exists. What does the future hold for these castings?

“It’s my dream for a patron to come and sponsor us. I would like to achieve a permanent house for the collection to protect it for years to come. It’s important that future generations can enjoy these re-creations of the world’s masterpieces.’’

Cindy Atoji Keene can be reached at cindy.atoji@gmail.com