Composition Mould

MediumBoxwood; Wood

DimensionsCarving: 14 3/8" (L) x 3/8" (W) x 1/4" (D). Boxwood insert: 15 1/2" (L) x 1" (W) x 3/4" (T). Base: (three trim pieces) 17 1/2" (L) x 2 17/32" (W) x 1 3/4" (T).

Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Elias Nassim

Object numberAF-X2023.3490

DescriptionIt is a boxwood carving of two entwined ropes forming a length of mini circles. Each circle has a raised bead. There are tiny beads (1/8" in diameter) at the junctures of the circles (top and bottom). There are 40 circles that measure 3/8" on center and are 3/8" (in diameter). The name "F. W. YOUNG" is stamped into the boxwood at one end.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.