Composition Mould
OriginEngland or America
MediumCementitious material; Paint/Stain; Wood
DimensionsOverall: 14 1/4" (L) x 3 5/16" (W) x 1 1/4" (D).
Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Nassim
Object numberAF-X2023.3489
DescriptionIt is a cementitious mould that is painted/stained with a 1x wood trim support. Evidence of the mould exists at one end with an overlap of cementitious material. There are five separate rosettes impressed into the cement. They have six petals with a circular pistil in the center. Rosettes = 2 3/16" (in diameter) and pistil = 5/16" (in diameter) and 1/4" (deep). The petals = 13/16" (W) at the outer edge of the petal and are 13/16" (H).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.
