'Wooden Pattern for Mould for Machine/Engine Part'

A large brightly painted positive mould, branded ‘Telektron’. This arrestingly sculptural object has been titled by the Museum it once belonged to as a ‘wooden pattern for mould for machine / engine part’. 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 unusual 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 for casting machine parts for industry, the item is in excellent condition. There is clear evidence of historic woodworm and, presumably, this is the reason The Museum of London decommissioned the artefact.