Composition Mould
OriginEngland or America
MediumCementitious materials; Paint/stain
DimensionsBase: 10 1/2" (L) x 7 1/2" (W) x 1 1/2" (T).
Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Nassim
Object numberAF-X2023.3244
DescriptionIt appears to be a cementitious block that is covered in a layer of paint/stain. The oak leaf and acorn pattern was set into the wet cement (fine grain cement). The pattern has alternating lines of oak leaf and acorn, 3 leaf/acorn images per row and there are 7 rows totaling 21 images.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.
