Composition Mould
OriginEngland or America
MediumWood
DimensionsBase = 17 3/8" (L) x 3 1/4" (W) x 7/8" (T); relief = 13 7/16" (L) x 7/8" (W) x 3/8" (D) at rosettes and 1/8" (D) at flutes
Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Nassim
Object numberAF-X2023.2873
DescriptionIt is a carved wood linear fluting length with oval rosettes (rosette then nine flutes/rosette then 13 flutes/rosette then nine flutes).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.
