LASSCO has acquired a vast collection of hand-carved wooden moulds for the making of picture frames

Carved boxwood moulds from the workshops of frame-makers are beautiful examples of what Victorian workshops could produce. By carving the ornament in reverse, the embellishments – swags, cartouches, guilloche, lambrequin, scrolls, cabachons and brackets – could be repeatedly cast thereafter by using “Composition”. The malleable material could be pulled from the mould and retain the under-cuts and hollows of the carved void before being stuck to the frame. Once hardened off, the resultant ornate frame can be gilded and will look as if it is carved.
These moulds can be waxed and polished and will catch the light as shadows move across them – they look great on a gallery wall.