Composition Mould

MediumResin; Wood

DimensionsImpression: 5 19/32" (L) x 3/4" (W) x 3/16" (D) at the center of the bead. Inset: 6 1/8" (L) x 1 3/8" (W) x 1/2" (D). Base: 11 3/16" (L) x 3 3/4" (W) x 1 5/8" (T).

Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Nassim

Object numberAF-X2023.2677

DescriptionIt is a resin mold guilloche of small circles with a bead in the center of each circle. There are nine complete circles. The circles are 5/8" on center and consist of a central bead with two surrounding bands. The beads are 3/16" in diameter and the bands are 5/8" (W) with raised edges of 3 /32" (W). The resin mold is inset in a single wooden member base.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.