Composition Mould

MediumResin; Wood

DimensionsBase: 18 3/8" (L) x 9 1/8" (W) x 2 1/2" (T).

Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Nassim

Object numberAF-X2023.3370

DescriptionIt is a large leaf and berry repeat (six rows and 5 columns alternating). There are 15 leaf and berry impressions. The berry is centered at the top of the stem and the stem continues through the length of the leaf. There are areas of charring on all faces. IT is a resin mold set into a three-layer base. The impression is 13 5/8" (L) from leaf tip to bottom of stem and 4 3/8" (W) x 3/8" (D). The berries are 1/2" in diameter and 1/4" deep.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.