Mould
1790-1810 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This mould is decorated with a flaming vase or torch. It was often used as a linking motif at the centre of looped floral swags. The actual plaster ornament was produced by pressing 'composition' into the mould. It has been used with pendant husks from another mould.
Design & Designing
This motif was frequently used in ancient Greek and Roman art and architecture. It was revived in Europe in the Renaissance and became especially popular in 18th-century Neo-classical decorative schemes.
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 is decorated with a flaming vase or torch. It was often used as a linking motif at the centre of looped floral swags. The actual plaster ornament was produced by pressing 'composition' into the mould. It has been used with pendant husks from another mould.
Design & Designing
This motif was frequently used in ancient Greek and Roman art and architecture. It was revived in Europe in the Renaissance and became especially popular in 18th-century Neo-classical decorative schemes.
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 | Strip of boxwood, set in beech block |
| Brief description | Mould for plaster ornament and composition, 1790-1810, English |
| Physical description | Mould for plaster ornament and composition with a design of a flaming urn and leafy swags |
| Gallery label | British Galleries:
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.(27/03/2003) |
| Credit line | Given by Clark and Fenn Ltd. |
| Summary | Object Type This mould is decorated with a flaming vase or torch. It was often used as a linking motif at the centre of looped floral swags. The actual plaster ornament was produced by pressing 'composition' into the mould. It has been used with pendant husks from another mould. Design & Designing This motif was frequently used in ancient Greek and Roman art and architecture. It was revived in Europe in the Renaissance and became especially popular in 18th-century Neo-classical decorative schemes. 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). |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.29:1-1989 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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