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Various Wooden Moulds 

Reading Time: 2:05 min

Wooden moulds with recessed forms were used for various purposes. They were used for pressing wax and stoneware appliqués, for bakeries of all kinds, and as butter moulds. They were often carved on both sides.

In the past, moulds also served the function of simple pictorial communication of events of all kinds.

The moulds on display come from the Alpine region and date from the 16th to the 19th century.

Relief Wooden Moulds
(Raised Design Moulds, Positive Moulds)

Definition
A relief mould had a raised design carved on its surface. When it was pressed into a soft material, the raised parts pushed into the material and created a recessed or indented impression.

How The Mould Worked
–  The mould carried the design in positive form (raised).
–  When it was pressed into wax or clay, it produced a negative impression.
–  The stamped result appeared sunken into the surface.

Typical Materials Used
–  Wax (seals, devotional objects)
–  Clay (tiles, pottery decoration)
–  Leather (bookbinding, belts)
–  Soft plaster or lime mortar

Examples
–  Decorative pottery stamps
–  Leather bookbinding stamps
–  Tile and brick ornament stamps

Recessed Wooden Moulds
(Negative Moulds)

Definition
A recessed mould had the design carved into the wood as a hollow or cavity. Soft material was pressed into the mould, filled the cavity, and formed a raised design when the object was removed.

How The Mould Worked
–  The mould contained the design in negative form.
–  Clay, wax, or plaster filled the carved recess.
–  The finished object showed the design in raised relief.

Typical Materials Used
–  Clay (tiles, stove tiles, ceramics)
–  Wax (small devotional objects, seals)
–  Plaster or gesso ornament

Examples
–  Ceramic tile moulds
–  Stove tile moulds
–  Decorative plaster ornament moulds

Wooden textile printing mould with linear ornamental patterns
Wooden textile printing mould with linear ornamental patterns
Wooden textile printing mould with vertical lines separating floral motifs
Wooden textile printing mould with vertical lines separating floral motifs
Wooden textile printing mould with dense foliate pattern
Wooden textile printing mould with dense foliate pattern
Wooden textile printing mould with small repeating floral motifs
Wooden textile printing mould with small repeating floral motifs
Wooden mould with geometric and ornamental motifs
Wooden mould with geometric and ornamental motifs
Wooden mould with carved horse motif
Wooden mould with carved horse motif
Wooden mould with carved double figure motif
Wooden mould with carved double figure motif
Wooden mould with carved equestrian figure motif
Wooden mould with carved equestrian figure motif
Wooden mould with carved standing couple motif
Wooden mould with carved standing couple motif
Wooden mould with carved standing figure motif
Wooden mould with carved standing figure motif
Wooden mould with carved standing male figure motif
Wooden mould with carved standing male figure motif
Wooden mould with carved standing female figure motif
Wooden mould with carved standing female figure motif
Wooden mould with carved haloed male figure motif
Wooden mould with carved haloed male figure motif
Wooden mould with carved horse motif
Wooden mould with carved horse motif
Wooden mould with multiple carved motifs
Wooden mould with multiple carved motifs
Wooden mould with carved religious figure motif
Wooden mould with carved religious figure motif
Wooden mould with carved hunting scene motif
Wooden mould with carved hunting scene motif
Wooden mould with carved wild boar and hunting dog motifs
Wooden mould with carved wild boar and hunting dog motifs
Wooden mould with carved wild boar and hunting dog motifs
Wooden mould with carved wild boar and hunting dog motifs
Wooden mould with carved deer hunting scene motif
Wooden mould with carved deer hunting scene motif
Wooden mould with carved deer hunting scene motif
Wooden mould with carved deer hunting scene motif
Wooden mould with carved horse-drawn cart motif
Wooden mould with carved horse-drawn cart motif
Wooden mould with carved horse and rider procession motif
Wooden mould with carved horse and rider procession motif
Wooden mould with carved inscription and foliate border
Wooden mould with carved inscription and foliate border
Wooden mould with carved horse and rider scene motif
Wooden mould with carved horse and rider scene motif

Use Across Historical Periods

Romanesque (c. 1000–1200)

Relief Wooden Moulds
Craftsmen used simple geometric stamps on pottery and bricks. They also used them for leather decoration and wax seals.

Recessed Wooden Moulds
Craftsmen used these moulds to form clay ornaments and early architectural tiles. Designs tended to be bold and simple.

Gothic (c. 1200–1500)

Relief Wooden Moulds
Artisans widely used stamps to create decorative patterns in leather bookbindings and on pottery surfaces.

Recessed Wooden Moulds
These moulds played an important role in producing relief stove tiles, architectural ceramics, and devotional clay plaques with raised figures.

Renaissance (c. 1500–1600)

Relief Wooden Moulds
Stamps showed classical motifs such as rosettes, foliage, and geometric borders.

Recessed Wooden Moulds
Craftsmen used highly refined moulds to produce ceramic plaques, stove tiles, and decorative architectural elements.

Baroque (c. 1600–1750)

Relief Wooden Moulds
Artisans used stamps to repeat ornamental motifs on leather, pottery, and wax.

Recessed Wooden Moulds
Craftsmen created complex moulds for elaborate ceramic and plaster ornaments with deep sculptural relief.

Relief Mould 
The design was raised on the mould, and the impression became sunken.

Recessed Mould 
The design was carved into the mould, and the produced object became raised.

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