Cast
ca. 1830 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
These are modern pressings, made of composition or 'compo', from a wooden architectural mould of an acanthus leaf. They were taken to demonstrate a finished article made by the wooden mould. The three identical pressings have been applied to a backing board in the shape of a section of cornice (the moulding at the junction of the walls and ceiling in a room).
Materials & Making
'Compo' was made of a mixture of glue, rosin (made from the resin of coniferous trees), linseed oil and whiting (powdered chalk). It was pressed into an oiled mould and squeezed in a screw press. The pressing could be removed from the mould while still flexible, to fit onto a shaped backing such as in this example.
Design & Designing
Acanthus leaves were a standard feature of architectural decoration after about 1780. They were thought suitable for Neo-classical interiors because they had been found in surviving buildings from ancient Greece and Rome. Such features would have been used on the architectural features of a room such as the cornice, panelling or fireplace.
These are modern pressings, made of composition or 'compo', from a wooden architectural mould of an acanthus leaf. They were taken to demonstrate a finished article made by the wooden mould. The three identical pressings have been applied to a backing board in the shape of a section of cornice (the moulding at the junction of the walls and ceiling in a room).
Materials & Making
'Compo' was made of a mixture of glue, rosin (made from the resin of coniferous trees), linseed oil and whiting (powdered chalk). It was pressed into an oiled mould and squeezed in a screw press. The pressing could be removed from the mould while still flexible, to fit onto a shaped backing such as in this example.
Design & Designing
Acanthus leaves were a standard feature of architectural decoration after about 1780. They were thought suitable for Neo-classical interiors because they had been found in surviving buildings from ancient Greece and Rome. Such features would have been used on the architectural features of a room such as the cornice, panelling or fireplace.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Plastercast from a mould, ca. 1830, English, (George Jackson & Sons Ltd. collection) |
| Physical description | Plaster cast from a wooden mould with a gilded repeating 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 & Fenn Ltd. (incorporating George Jackson & Sons) |
| Object history | Probably made in London by an unidentified carver. |
| Summary | Object Type These are modern pressings, made of composition or 'compo', from a wooden architectural mould of an acanthus leaf. They were taken to demonstrate a finished article made by the wooden mould. The three identical pressings have been applied to a backing board in the shape of a section of cornice (the moulding at the junction of the walls and ceiling in a room). Materials & Making 'Compo' was made of a mixture of glue, rosin (made from the resin of coniferous trees), linseed oil and whiting (powdered chalk). It was pressed into an oiled mould and squeezed in a screw press. The pressing could be removed from the mould while still flexible, to fit onto a shaped backing such as in this example. Design & Designing Acanthus leaves were a standard feature of architectural decoration after about 1780. They were thought suitable for Neo-classical interiors because they had been found in surviving buildings from ancient Greece and Rome. Such features would have been used on the architectural features of a room such as the cornice, panelling or fireplace. |
| Associated object | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.467A/2-1989 |
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| Record created | April 29, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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