Composition Mould
OriginEngland or America
MediumResin; Wood
DimensionsImpression: 11 3/4" (L) x 2" (W) at largest blossom x 5/8" (D). Base: 13 1/2" (L) x 3 1/4" (W) x 1 1/2" (T).
Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Nassim
Object numberAF-X2023.1093
DescriptionIt is a large bell flower drop resin impression backed with a wood support. It is unique in that the smallest blossom is down from the top (not at the end). There are 5 blossoms with 5 berries at the base of each blossom. The blossoms are separated by a single bead (4 in all). There is a large round ball at the upper end. Each blossom has a central petal with a half petal on each side.Label TextThis antique composition mould represents a trade that was practiced in Virginia during the Revolutionary period and into the 19th century. It depicts a common design found in upper class homes and public buildings. Composition was a substitute for more laboriously produced ornamental plaster and carved wood and stone. It is thought that the Adam brothers (Robert Adam 1728-1792) and John Adam (1721-1792)) played a major role in the initial manufacture of composition ornament on a grand scale. The Adam style demanded a large amount of delicate low-relief ornament. These moulds are for the production of such ornament in plaster, or in composition, usually a combination of whiting, glue, rosin and oil. The finished ornament was used on furniture and other objects as well as in the decoration of rooms.
