Composition Mould
OriginEngland or America
MediumCompo (usually a combination of hide glue, pine rosin, chalk, and linseed oil); Pine
DimensionsBase = 15 1/2" (L) x 5 9/16" (W) x 3/4" (T). Relief = 9 5/8" (L) (13 1/2" long originally with 4" now missing) x 2" (W) x 3/4" (T).
Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Nassim
Object numberAF-X2023.3086
DescriptionThis is a highly-raised compo relief of leaf and berry motif. It has a pointed end and a concave end. It is attached to a section of tongue-and-groove pine flooring. It appears that the berries have been painted black for accent.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.
