Composition Mould
OriginEngland or America
MediumResin; Pine
DimensionsImpression: 14 3/16" (L) x 5/8" (W) x 1/2" (D). Inset: 15 3/16" (L) x 1 1/8" (W) x 3/4" (D). Base: 18 15/16" (L) x 3 3/4" (W) 2" (D).
Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Nassim
Object numberAF-X2023.2704
DescriptionThis is a resin mold of a length of lambs’ tongue and dart motif set into a single wood member. It has 17 tongues and 17 darts. The motifs are 7/8" on center. The lambs’ tongues are 5/8" (W) x 9/16" (H) x 1/2" (D). The darts are 3/16" (W) at the tip x 9/16" (H) x 1/2" (D).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.
