Composition ornament
Composition ornament ("compo") is a mouldable thermoplastic compound, consisting of powdered chalk mixed with collagen (hide glue), resin (pine rosin) and linseed oil in ratio 1 to 1 to 1 by volume; worked either by hand or more usually pressed into moulds to produce decorative work. It's now most commonly seen as part of gilded picture frames, but was in use for many smaller decorative mouldings from the later part of the Baroque period.
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Compo recipes
Compo recipes
A basic compo recipe can have many variations. Some understanding of what each ingredient is doing helps when adjusting the basic recipe, starting with the four essential ingredients: • Whiting gives body. • Pearl glue acts as a binder. • Linseed oil makes the mixture soft. • Rosin makes the mixture elastic. With optional ingredients, including: • Venice turpentine prevents cracking. • Glycerine tempers the glue. • Zinc oxide prevents formation of mould.
History
History
Composition is widely accepted to have been developed by Thomas Jackson in London around the late 18th century. His son, George Jackson, continued the business. His company, George Jackson, still trades today and supplies composition ornament made to the original methods and recipe.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Composition ornament, revision 1344701920 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Library record
Composition ornamentLibrary of Congress
Institutional witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in General
22,760 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- ComoxPlace
- Company rule in IndiaPlace
- Compasso d'OroTerminology
- CompiègnePlace
- ComptonPlace
- Compton and ShawfordPlace
- Compton BassettPlace
- Compton CollegeOrganisation
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