Composition Mould

MediumResin; Wood

DimensionsImpression: 5 1/4" (L) x 1 5/8" (H) x 3/16" (D). Inset: 6" (L) x 2 1/4" (W) x 1/2". Base: 7 13/16" (L) x 4" (W) x 1 1/4" (T).

Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Nassim

Object numberAF-X2023.2625

DescriptionIt is a resin mould of a plain ionic capital with two simple scrolls connected with a smooth band. The diameter of the scrolls is 1 3/8". The centers of the scrolls are 3 5/8" on center. The band at the top is 5 /32" wide. The base is a single piece of wood.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.