Mould
1790-1810 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This mould has been carved to replicate the Greek key motif. The ornament would have been suitable as a border around a room, either at dado (waist height) or at cornice (ceiling) level. The actual plaster ornament was produced by pressing 'composition' into the mould.
Design & Designing
The Greek key or meander pattern was one of the most popular decorative motifs of the 18th and 19th centuries. It derived from ancient Greece and continued to be popular in ancient Rome, especially as a carved architectural embellishment and as a border in floor mosaics.
Materials & Making
The mould was made by a specialist carver for firms making composition ornament. Boxwood is very hard and can take a great deal of detailed carving. Its hardness also makes it robust, necessary for a mould such as this which has been reused countless times.
Composition ('comp' for short) is a type of paste or putty made from glue, rosin (resin), linseed oil and whiting (chalk). It was pressed into the oiled mould and squeezed in a screw press. The pressing was removed from the mould while still flexible and applied to a backing.
Time
Moulds of this kind were used widely from about 1780 until about 1900. The use of moulds to make plaster reproductions reduced the demand for ornamental carvings in wood. After about 1850 the manufacturing process became more mechanised, though moulds continued to be used.
People
The mould was part of a collection owned by George Jackson & Sons, Ltd, a firm founded by George Jackson (1756-1840).
This mould has been carved to replicate the Greek key motif. The ornament would have been suitable as a border around a room, either at dado (waist height) or at cornice (ceiling) level. The actual plaster ornament was produced by pressing 'composition' into the mould.
Design & Designing
The Greek key or meander pattern was one of the most popular decorative motifs of the 18th and 19th centuries. It derived from ancient Greece and continued to be popular in ancient Rome, especially as a carved architectural embellishment and as a border in floor mosaics.
Materials & Making
The mould was made by a specialist carver for firms making composition ornament. Boxwood is very hard and can take a great deal of detailed carving. Its hardness also makes it robust, necessary for a mould such as this which has been reused countless times.
Composition ('comp' for short) is a type of paste or putty made from glue, rosin (resin), linseed oil and whiting (chalk). It was pressed into the oiled mould and squeezed in a screw press. The pressing was removed from the mould while still flexible and applied to a backing.
Time
Moulds of this kind were used widely from about 1780 until about 1900. The use of moulds to make plaster reproductions reduced the demand for ornamental carvings in wood. After about 1850 the manufacturing process became more mechanised, though moulds continued to be used.
People
The mould was part of a collection owned by George Jackson & Sons, Ltd, a firm founded by George Jackson (1756-1840).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Strips of boxwood, set in a beech block |
| Brief description | English; boxwood; for plasterwork (Jacksons colln) |
| Physical description | Boxwood mould for plasterwork with a 'Greek Key' meander design |
| Gallery label |
|
| Credit line | Given by Clark and Fenn Ltd. |
| Object history | Made in England |
| Summary | Object Type This mould has been carved to replicate the Greek key motif. The ornament would have been suitable as a border around a room, either at dado (waist height) or at cornice (ceiling) level. The actual plaster ornament was produced by pressing 'composition' into the mould. Design & Designing The Greek key or meander pattern was one of the most popular decorative motifs of the 18th and 19th centuries. It derived from ancient Greece and continued to be popular in ancient Rome, especially as a carved architectural embellishment and as a border in floor mosaics. Materials & Making The mould was made by a specialist carver for firms making composition ornament. Boxwood is very hard and can take a great deal of detailed carving. Its hardness also makes it robust, necessary for a mould such as this which has been reused countless times. Composition ('comp' for short) is a type of paste or putty made from glue, rosin (resin), linseed oil and whiting (chalk). It was pressed into the oiled mould and squeezed in a screw press. The pressing was removed from the mould while still flexible and applied to a backing. Time Moulds of this kind were used widely from about 1780 until about 1900. The use of moulds to make plaster reproductions reduced the demand for ornamental carvings in wood. After about 1850 the manufacturing process became more mechanised, though moulds continued to be used. People The mould was part of a collection owned by George Jackson & Sons, Ltd, a firm founded by George Jackson (1756-1840). |
| Associated object | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.166:1-1989 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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