Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Shell Game: Another "Finished" Project

When working on a restoration project, part of the decision-making is "how far to go" and what to replace. Will you return to pristine condition, "looks good", or just keep it from falling apart further?

With this mirror (see earlier post),  the most glaring defects where the missing shell ornaments, and the unappealing, and badly deteriorated scenic panel. Aside from these issues, it was mostly intact and original.

I cast replicas of the shells, gilded them and then put them in their corners. These were originally placed in beds of compo material, and they probably detached as the material dried over the years. Mine were bedded with an epoxy putty.

Since the reverse painting was not that attractive, I did not want to make a replica. I put in a plain mirror plate, and since the mirror frame is so ornate, I find this a more elegant, restrained solution. At some point, if I find a design I like, I may replace with a reverse painting.

There are still numerous small losses and chipping, particularly around the edges. These have been tinted to make them less obtrusive. If a more pristine look is desired, they can be repaired as well, but the age of this mirror, combined with it's edge construction makes it naturally prone to this type of damage and decay.



Compo bedding that held (or didn't hold) the original shell.




Replacements,and new bedding material in corner.



New shells installed


Replacement shell toned to match.

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