Composition Mould
OriginEngland
MediumBoxwood
DimensionsOverall carving: 6 3/8" (W) in diameter x 3/16" (H) x 1/2" (D). Limb: 8 3/8" (L) x 6 3/4" (W) x 2 7/8" (T).
Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Nassim
Object numberAF-X2023.2490
DescriptionIt is a half-circle fan carved out of a boxwood limb with bark still intact on the long edges. The impression would have 12 scalloped flutes with an oval dimple above each scalloped end. Each flute also has a bead at its midpoint. The flutes converge in a half-circular pad. The dimples are 5/8" in diameter at the outer edge and the beads are 7/32" in diameter.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.
