Composition Mould
OriginEngland or America
MediumResin; Wood
DimensionsThe small bead: 1/2"in diameter x 1/2" (deep); medium bead: 3/4" in diameter x 3/4" (deep); large bead: 1" in diameter x 7/8" (deep). Matrix dimensions: 4 13/16" (L) x 1 3/16" (W) x 1/2" (D). Base: 7 3/4" (L) x 2 7/8" (W) x 2 3/4" (T).
Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Nassim
Object numberAF-X2023.3236
DescriptionIt is a resin mold set into a wooden base that has three different sized rimmed beads (small, medium, and large). The bottom side shows hand planing.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.
