Industrial Foundry Mould / Master Pattern Form

A hand-carved and hand-painted positive mould. This brilliantly sculptural object was once used in the production of machine parts. The form has been precisely carved for use in the sand-casting of metal. It dates from the first half of the twentieth century.

In its working life, this object would have been pressed into sand to create a negative cavity. Poured into the mould cavity would have been a molten metal which, once cooled, takes the form of the finished part.

In the way they emphasise the strange shapes within the industrial object, the contrasting and red & black colours painted onto the pattern are aesthetically pleasing. Originally, the purpose of the paint was to denote parts, protect the wood and aid its removal from the moulding material.

Despite formally being a working mould in heavy industry, the item is in good condition. As can be gauged in the photographs, the item can stand in many different ways and displays excellently as objet d'art. The art object can also be wall hung.