Mould
1790-1810 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This mould is decorated with the figure of a sphinx, a mythological creature with a lion's body, eagle's wings and the head of a woman. The actual plaster ornament was produced by pressing 'composition' into the mould.
Design & Designing
The sphinx was a popular decorative motif used in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. However, this particular style of sphinx derives from the Etruscans, a people who colonised Italy around 800 BC. Etruscan archaeological finds aroused great curiosity in the 18th century, and many decorative details were copied and incorporated into Neo-classical 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 the figure of a sphinx, a mythological creature with a lion's body, eagle's wings and the head of a woman. The actual plaster ornament was produced by pressing 'composition' into the mould.
Design & Designing
The sphinx was a popular decorative motif used in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. However, this particular style of sphinx derives from the Etruscans, a people who colonised Italy around 800 BC. Etruscan archaeological finds aroused great curiosity in the 18th century, and many decorative details were copied and incorporated into Neo-classical 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 pressing |
| Physical description | Mould for plasterwork with an ancient Egyptian style sphinx design |
| 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. |
| Object history | Unknown |
| Summary | Object Type This mould is decorated with the figure of a sphinx, a mythological creature with a lion's body, eagle's wings and the head of a woman. The actual plaster ornament was produced by pressing 'composition' into the mould. Design & Designing The sphinx was a popular decorative motif used in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. However, this particular style of sphinx derives from the Etruscans, a people who colonised Italy around 800 BC. Etruscan archaeological finds aroused great curiosity in the 18th century, and many decorative details were copied and incorporated into Neo-classical 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.444:1-1989 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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