The side table was covered with losses and lifting paint in the original Smokey Maple
paint on legs, panels, and stretchers. The table top was warped, lifting on both sides
from the frame; nothing was to be done about the warpage.
I could not guarantee to the client that I would be able to remove the crayon
and would not sacrifice the original painting by Tinoco to do so.
Because of my own love for this furniture it was a bit nerve-wracking.
Note: It is easier to see the damage and the painted surfaces from
the side views, or when the images are a bit tilted.
Cleaning is extremely patient and time consuming work.
MOST of the “crayon” was removed, except for a bit of smear that remains
in an extremely damaged area right above the handle.
The paint lifting and chipping was simply too fragile, so the slight residue of
waxy black was left in exchange for possible losses in the painted surface.
A mold found in several crevices and just underneath
the warped top was removed and treated.
For infill to be properly executed (meaning not obvious to the naked eye)
it is a 3-4 step process over a month’s time. I chose a darker image, above, because it is better to see the brights of the infill before the final topcoat is applied.
Below, one of the horses before infill began and after all treatment but the topcoat was applied. Note the bright spots. It is costly to infill such a damaged piece but the topcoat takes care of the teeny bits of exposed white gesso.
The Smokey Maple finish was deteriorated and lifting as well, though much of the extensive damage was complete. The goal was to clean and stabilize, then add enough paint to protect and renew without making it “new” — and so, unlike removal of a white stain in a shellacked table top, we left the cleaned stains (no oily residues) intact and over-coated them with the Smokey Maple paint. Two coats were applied to the top;
light coats allow variation and allow the piece to appear as if it were well-loved
rather than neglected and restored. Understand, MPFC’s restorative applications were driven by preservation and aesthetic necessities, not to fool the eye. Therefore, a knowledgeable collector and/or conservator would know the piece was restored.
It is nice to have various pieces of Mason Monterey in the studio to compare when restoring: see the excellent match to well preserved Smokey Maple finish of a
well-loved bedside table in the dark and bright images below.
Below, the piece is curing before we reduced the sheen.
payment for that treatment, which, while small, is costly in time.
The leather is beyond what might be a normal level of rot.
However, we treated it to slow the further degradation, and then over-coated it with Smokey Maple, as leather is often painted with oil paint!
We are instructing the client that the piece is gently usable,
though surface coatings are quite durable.
The top is completely stable, however, the front of the drawer should be treated
as a painting, and care should be taken with this lovely artifact.
Slide show below.
©MPF Conservation. May be printed for your own use.
May be reposted if our url + copyright is used as reference.
You guys do wonderful work. I like how careful you are in your decision-making and how much you think of the history and the future of the piece. I’m sure you struggle with getting clients to understand the time/cost involved in work like this. I’ve only ever done minor repair on historic portions of houses and I was shocked at how long they took to do right. I can’t imagine the time or effort in this piece. I hope the client appreciated your work.
She hasn’t seen it yet — but another client has appreciated it and is looking forward to having his work done.
Thank you, Dan! It is surprising the amount of evaluation goes into the decisions toward treatment. I’m currently working on a Louis XVI sofa which had been abused by upholsterers and finishers over the years. For example, retrofitting the damaged Ca. 1760’s French pear-wood frame took a great deal of head scratching in order to come up with a plan which reflected the spirit of the original maker as well as satisfying long term preservation goals. Retrofit is now complete, painted finish conserved as well; now for the upholstery! When I received the piece all its original fiber guts and upholstery patterns were gone. I will be building it back to what was, upholstery-wise, when it was first conceived. Its shredded palm-leaf, coire and horsehair pods will ultimately give body to a final decorative upholstery cover which will look much like the contours of the finest of wedding cakes. Decorative trims will be hand stitched to the silk fabric to create geometric designs and embellishments. Guess that’s why Marie Antoinette said, “Let them eat cake”? She was really talking about upholstered furniture and was completely misunderstood. That is no way to lose ones head! 🙂 More to come on this item, with plenty of photos! Mitchell
I look forward to seeing bits of that project, Kate. It sounds intricate.
That last comment was Mitchell… but we will post that one too!
What you guys do is amazing. What a fine job and an excellent piece of artwork restored and preserved. Outstanding Kate!
Thanks Cheryl!
Wow. This is such meticulous work!
Yes. I actually love it!