Bread and Butter - Antique Restoration

Whilst restoring antiques for some of London's top antique houses, many provincial dealers and private clients, I have come across a wide variety of styles and techniques which can be employed in many ways.

I specialise in the decorative aspects such as gilding, lacquer and painted furniture.  I have some very skilled associates who undertake the structural work.

Some clients like things to look like new and some prefer a more discreet service; I work closely with the client to ensure that pieces are restored to a level they are happy with.

 
gilding
  
lacquerwork
  
furniture
  
other restoration

This section covers Lacquer, but also all types of Chinoiserie and Japanning with which I have extensive experience. The origins of the technique of applying true lacquer (the sap of the Rhus vernicifluum tree) is a point of debate but many believe it was started in China over 7000 years ago, it was however the Japanese who perfected the art. In the 17th Century Europe developed a fascination with the orient which gave rise to the techniques of Chinoiserie and Japanning; imitation lacquer but an art form in its own right and one of my specialities.

Aunt Sponge Cherries Logo Click here to enquire about Lacquer Work, Japanning and Chinoiserie.

 

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Black Lacquered Box
Large sections of the lacquer and mother of pearl on this pair of chests was missing. I restored it to match the original.

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Black Lacquer Box

Black Lacquer Work Box
In restoring this box I filled some of the chips, replaced the worn areas of decoration and matched all to the original parts.

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Lacquer Work Box

Japanned Television Cabinet
The client was looking for a cabinet to house their television for the dining room, but did not want to destroy an antique for the purpose. I Japanned this cabinet in an antique manner in order to fit with their traditional eastern aesthetic.

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Lacquered TV cabinet

Japanned Tray Base
The client was looking for an attractive and functional way of displaying an antique tray. I commissioned the base to be made, then decorated it to match the tray.

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Japanned Tray Base

Japanned Lacquer Mirror
I decorated this mirror in a using tradtitional Japanning techniques with raised gesso and 23.5 carat gold.

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Japanned Mirror

Chinoiserie Tea Urns
One of a set of six metal urns with large areas of decoration missing.  I restored the missing areas whilst preserving as much of the original as possible.

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Tole Tea urns

 

Thea Atkinson

mail@auntsponge.com

07974 400735