Carlton Hobbs 9304

November 19 2009, 5:44pm

Term of the Day: Composition 11/19/09

One of a pair of gilt-composition Regency dressing mirrors.

Composition is a material made from a mixture of whiting (ground calcium carbonate), resin, and size (a kind of glue preparation) that can be shaped in a mold, and will be lightweight and sturdy when it hardens. It was used for scultural ornaments or for furniture mounts by Robert Adam and other furniture-makers of the later 18th century, and was often gilded, as in the present example.

To learn more about this pair of dressing mirrors, visit: http://www.carltonhobbs.com/viewDetail.asp?strReference=9304