Composition Mould

MediumResin; Wood

DimensionsInset: 13 1/8" (L) x 2 1/8" (W) x 3/16" (D). Base: 17" (L) x 6 1/2" (W) x 1 1/4" (T).

Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Nassim

Object numberAF-X2023.3409

DescriptionIt is a double arch and diamond guilloche length of resin set in a wooden base. There are two sets of mirrored arches with a diamond separating the arches. The arches are set at 5 5/8" on center and they are 2 1/8" (H) and the arch measures 1/4" (thickness in width). The diamonds are 1 1/2" (H) x 1" (W). At one end of the impression is a portion of an arch and at the other end is blank space.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.