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FURNITURE
RESTORATION : A FULL BUSINESS AS WELL AS AN ART
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The Seventeenth and even more so,
the eighteen centuries were the uncontested golden age of cabinet
making.
During this Regency period, accompanied by the predominantly feminine
influence
in high society, owning furniture becomes extremely fashionable.
With the royal Versailles court as
the standard, furniture makers copy the pieces for royalty, with
reproductions
of “royal” designs trickling down through
aristocracy, the bourgeoisie and
within ordinary families. Such high demand thus challenges the best
“ebenistes”(fine
cabinetmaker whose name comes originally from the use of ebony)
to excel in
crafting furniture. In this way the king’s pride, sense of
comfort, fancy
elegance and glory all influence the people’s tastes.
Within the
reign of Louis XIVth,
XVth and XVIth, craftsmanship demands teamwork, with very diverse
artistic
skills needed to accomplish the complex decorations.
Although the
“ornemaniste”(is a
kind of designer who decides on the decoration aspect of the piece) designs
the piece from unique shape to special inlays, involving floral or
geometric
compositions, diverse animals and people, landscapes. From there the
“
menuisier “(whose name comes from the
French” menu” or delicate and fancy,
they work exclusively on solid wood) oversees the core frame. The true
master craftsman is
the ebeniste who integrates structure and design, perhaps using exotic
veneer,
from distant islands with rich and deep tone, whos
e grain will be enhanced by the French polish.
By carefully choosing marbles,
stones, jades, enamels, ivories, nacres and shells, the ebeniste will
complete
the overall attractiveness of the piece. He will manage as well the
bronzes’
installation, the gilding quality which presence reflects elegance and
power.
As a master
Ebeniste, he will apply
his “estampille”(signature stamped on the
wood usually on top of a leg, was
the mark of master craftsmen) as well as the “
marque de jurande “.(just
a mark stamped as a label after a quality control).
Before he receives full recognition
for his exceptional work from the king, prince or duke, he verifies the
piece’s
overall beauty and perfection. A masterpiece of furniture is not only
rewarded
by an important payment but by being present in a magnificently
decorated
place.
Over
centuries, time and wear can
damage antique pieces so that they need maintenance and restoration.
The “ Ebeniste restaurateur
“, like
a doctor cures, repairs and brings back to life what is faded and
damaged. A
conservation spirit ensures the owner the respect of the pieces by
avoiding an
intrusive approach.
More so than
for “ quick fix “, the
restorer’s work requires many skills: Historical research on
documents to
recreate lost marquetries ( made out of different kinds of
wood or even
materials such as ivory, bone or metal, thin shits are placed together
like a
puzzle to obtain a decorative surface)
,
specified ornaments like bronzes or locks. Mastering the traditional
joints
technique, as “ebeniste”, his aim is to get back
two hundred years ago, as if he
was the creator and builder of the piece. His material and technical
knowledge,
such as on veneer, various inlays, glues and finishes, sculpture,
gilding and
upholstery reveal a master artisan as well as an artist.
Unlike their
ancestors, contemporary
ebenistes’ unique touch is revealed in their ability to
recreate “patina”, the
mark of time, like a matured good wine. This is how their talents
rejoin those
of past masters.
(The
instinctive and sensual
involvement of the twenty first master ebeniste to embrace the
authenticity of
the antic piece is such that it’s usually with sadness and
moral pain that he
finally lets go…)
To
proceed on antique artifacts’
restoration and conservation involves a technical, historical as well
as
sentimental and artistic touch.
Hight
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Hight
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atelierbence@wanadoo.fr
Copyright © 2006.
Patrick Bence. All rights reserved.