Composition Mould
OriginEngland or America
MediumCementitious material
DimensionsImpression: 3 5/8" outer diameter x 3/4" (D) at the face. Central face is 1 5/8" in diameter. Lamb’s tongue band is 15/32" (L) x 5/8" (W). Base: 5 1/2" (H) x 4 3/8" (W) x 1 1/2" (T).
Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Nassim
Object numberAF-X2023.2642
DescriptionIt is a cementitious mould of a circular lamb’s tongue rosette with a human face in the center. There are 12 tongues and a forward-facing human head surrounded by hair. The outer edge consists of a curved band.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.
