Composition Mould

MediumBoxwood; Wood; Shellac

DimensionsBase = 13 7/8" (L) x 7 3/8" (W) x 2 1/16" (T). Mold = 9 3/16' (L) x 3 3/16" (W) x 7/8" (T); carving = 4 1/2" (LOD) x 2 3/4" (W) x 3/8" (D).

Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Nassim

Object numberAF-X2023.3079

DescriptionBoxwood carved oval medallion consisting of 30 spokes around a central oval bead. The boxwood carving is set into a multiple piece wooden base. The entire face of the mold and base has been shellacked. You can see a scribed central line through its length. On the left side of the scribe line are three pin holes where the carver laid out the oval.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.