Mould
ca. 1830 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This mould is decorated with an acanthus leaf. The actual plaster ornament was produced by pressing 'composition' into the mould.
Design & Designing
The acanthus leaf was one of the most popular decorative motifs of the 17th and 18th century. It derives from ancient Greece and especially ancient Rome, where it was used to embellish the capitals of columns carved in the Corinthian and Composite orders. Such striking and lavishly decorated column capitals were excavated in large numbers throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.
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 an acanthus leaf. The actual plaster ornament was produced by pressing 'composition' into the mould.
Design & Designing
The acanthus leaf was one of the most popular decorative motifs of the 17th and 18th century. It derives from ancient Greece and especially ancient Rome, where it was used to embellish the capitals of columns carved in the Corinthian and Composite orders. Such striking and lavishly decorated column capitals were excavated in large numbers throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.
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 | Boxwood |
| Brief description | Boxwood mould for plasterwork, ca. 1830, English (George Jackson & Sons Ltd. collection) |
| Physical description | Carved boxwood mould with a leaf design |
| Dimensions |
|
| Gallery label | British Galleries:
The mould itself is flat but the acanthus leaf was intended for a curved cornice. The motif is not very closely related to a real acanthus leaf (Acanthus mollis), but is rather a stylised version of it.(27/03/2003) |
| Credit line | Given by Clark and Fenn Ltd. |
| Object history | Probably made in London by an unidentified carver |
| Summary | Object Type This mould is decorated with an acanthus leaf. The actual plaster ornament was produced by pressing 'composition' into the mould. Design & Designing The acanthus leaf was one of the most popular decorative motifs of the 17th and 18th century. It derives from ancient Greece and especially ancient Rome, where it was used to embellish the capitals of columns carved in the Corinthian and Composite orders. Such striking and lavishly decorated column capitals were excavated in large numbers throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. 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.467A/1-1989 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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