Antique metal Conservation & Restoration

01Bronze sculpture

Large Dame Barbara Hepworth Bronze Sculptures

An example of my service of bronze sculpture restoration on-site. This has proved popular for large country and town houses that need their artworks cleaned and conserved.

These substantial Dame Barbara Hepworth bronzes were in need of restoration, the protective coat had broken down and they were suffering from corrosion in areas where bird lime had penetrated the patina.

Each was carefully cleaned using conservation techniques and the patina repaired where necessary. Finally a new coating of protective microcrystalline wax was applied, keeping them safe for many years to come.

02Bronze statue

A fine Jean De Bologne Mercury Statue

A very large bronze sculpture depicting Mercury or Hermes, based on a design by Jean de Bologne, from the 19th century, during the reign of Napoleon III.

This Statue of Mercury was in need of a clean and wax to keep the delicate patina in good condition and of course keep the statue looking good. Wax is also helpful for stopping the build up of dust on metal objects and also keeping moisture ingress (which leads to corrosion) to a minimum.

03Pewter

Art Nouveau Pewter Dressing Table Mirror

This mirror had suffered damage after being dropped. One of the feet was broken and needed to be repaired discreetly and using conservation principles that would endure continued usage.

After some realignment of the parts two small carbon fibre dowels were used to strengthen the repair, hidden within the pewter casting. The bonding was carried out using specialist epoxies and glass microfibres and balloons, toned with earth pigments.

Finally a cosmetic blend was achieved using an airbrush, acrylics and hand finishing of the surfaces.

04Cold painted & Polychrome

Cold painted polychrome spelter sculpture

This large the polychrome spelter sculpture came to me with significant damage and a requirement to ship it to the USA on completion.

The repairs were made to the arm using cold set techniques and carbon fibre composites. The tambourine was also restored before careful and sensitive restoration of the cold painted finish.

Finally the piece was protected using micro crystalline wax before a custom packing case was made to ship the sculpture to the United States.

05Pewter

A 19th century pewter candlestick

This pretty pewter candlestick had been broken into two pieces, and the surface contained many dents and distortions.

The break was mended using an additional internal support, and the distortions were removed through gentle manipulation. The candlestick was finished to a mellow antique gleam.

06Bronze Sculpture Cleaning

Large Art Deco period Bronze Sculptures

An example of my service of bronze sculpture restoration in-situ. This has proved popular for large country and town houses that need their bronzes cleaned and conserved on site.

These bronzes were suffering from corrosion in areas where bird lime had penetrated the patina. Each was carefully cleaned using conservation techniques and the patina repaired where necessary.

Finally a new coating of protective microcrystalline wax was applied, keeping them safe for many years to come.

07Bronze figure

A 19th century Guerbe bronze figure

The art deco bronze, attributed to Guerbe, was broken into several pieces. Each piece was pinned and adhered into position, before the surfaces were filled and colour matched with the existing finish.

08Iron and gilt

A 19th century iron, brass and gilt chandelier

This ironwork light had severely corroded and broken in several places. The copper alloy shades, a later modification from when it was converted from gas, had also degraded over time.

Replacement ironwork parts were forged and welded into place, and the entire piece was treated to remove the active corrosion. The ironwork was freshly painted and the central floret gilded, as it would have been originally. The shades were treated for corrosion, repainted and lacquered.