Composition Mould
OriginEngland or America
MediumBoxwood; Pine
DimensionsCarving: Main leaf: 11 1/2" (L) x 4 5/8" (W) x 1/2" (D). Tip: 1 7/8" (W) x 7/8" (H) x 3/16" (D). Inset: 14 7/8" (L) x 5 3/8" (W) x 3/4" (D). Base: 19" (L) x 9 1/8" (W) x 2 1/2" (T).
Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Nassim
Object numberAF-X2023.1103
DescriptionIt is a large boxwood acanthus leaf carving with a separate curled tip foliage negative near the top. The acanthus leaf has a single stem with 6 segments of leaf on each side. There is a plain negative tip at the top of the stem.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.
