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ANTIQUE FURNITURE WITH DAMAGED WOOD VENEERS, MARQUETRY OR METAL, LANDMARK BUILDINGS, OLD PRESERVATIONS, OLD BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, GOVERNMENT BUILDING, EXCELLENT SERVICE FROM OLEK INC. TRUSTED SINCE 1950 NYC, NJ, CT CALL ANY TIME
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Conservation of antique and decorative objects should stabilize for use. The objectives of conservation may include:
1. functional capability, generally the joinery, so the antique will survive its intended use,
2. patina of the finish, identify the clients' needs and how to accommodate them and the history of the item.
3. replace missing and stabilize existing decorative elements, such as marquetry, gilding, carving, paint, caning, Japanning, pietre dure, oriental lacquer and plaster or composition.
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Dutch Marquetry Secretary to be Conserved and French Polished
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18th Century Cylinder Secretary Desk, French Polished |
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This mid-18th century Rococo Dutch secretary with cylinder top arrived in unusable condition; the frame had warped enough to bind the cylinder top in its' channel. Partial disassembly and humidity treatments were necessary to correct warping the carcase to allow the cylinder top to roll again.
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Joinery or Frame Conservation |
Objectives vary, depending on the client. Museums have different concerns from residential clients. We respect both sets of concerns, and whatever the clients actual needs may be. We employ non-invasive upholstery techniques as requested. Our standards are demanding - if new marquetry or inlaid solid wood may be seen as different then the adjacent elements, then the work was not satisfactorily performed. Home or residential users also need conservation to provide stability and functionality, to survive the antique intended use:
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• The frame and joinery, whether mortise-and-tenon, dovetailed or doweled, should be solid and strong under load, and support users or objects stored inside
• Chairs or sofas should be secure for people to sit in them, with casters operable and in good condition. Non-invasive reupholstery techniques are available
• Drawers must run smoothly and easily with drawers fully loaded
• Doors on cabinets, must be hung correctly, hinges must work as intended and avoid damage from looseness
• Carvings or moldings should be secure and intact
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Stickley Arts & Crafts Rocker, with broken rocker and back before restored
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Stickley Rocker- Arts & Crafts Period with Broken Back |
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Stickley Bros. Arts & Crafts Rocker with Original Back, before refinishing
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Stickley Arts & Crafts Rocker, disassembled to repair each broken element, and rebuild entirely |
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French Empire Fauteuil, suffering from powder post beetle damage
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The leg broke in use |
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We invite client participation in the antique conservation process, and welcome visits to our shop to clarify and guide our craftsmen to obtain the desired result.
We will not insert a dowel (or worse, a nail) into an antique mortise-and-tenon joint that will compromise a tenon function for a cheap "glue job" some might call a restoration? We will not inject glue into the joints of a loose doweled chair (when nothing short of complete disassembly, cutting off and drilling out of old dowels, and reinstallation of newer, larger dowels is necessary to obtain the original longevity of the chair joinery.
No matter how complicated or how poor the condition, no conservation treatment is beyond our expert grasp. Our European cabinetmakers perform complicated, intricate marquetry work, carvings, and joinery, on wood that is in good condition, or suffering from smoke or fire damage, or the ravages of powder post beetles.
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Our abilities to rebuild antique period wood joinery on furniture or woodwork ranging from the middle ages to modern, from Rococo to Regency is well known. Our mission is to restore your furniture, to the level where you cannot tell |
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Dutchman inlays to mortise and tenon joints and chair rails were necessary for this French Empire chair, ca. 1800. |
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This chair has a milk paint finish with 24 kt. gold leaf molded edges.
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The wood finishes are painstakingly matched to the adjacent finishes |
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Italian Renaissance Carving work
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European Carved Four Poster 16th century Bed, after conservation |
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Dutchman inlays necessary due to powder-post beetle infestation damage. The infestation was terminated by anoxic treatment in carbon dioxide gas. |
The means of accomplishing conservation is important. Inappropriate work can damage and compromise strength or aesthetics. To attain superior results, we employ the finest European craftsmen; cabinetmakers, carvers, upholsterers, artists, even metal machinists. They respect the integrity of antiques and understand the importance of maintaining the original design.
Client objectives vary, many will want more restoration work than just stabilization through conservation. A thorough discussion of condition, usage, and goals for each piece is important to attain the expected conservation or restoration results. Our European craftsmen are attentive to client needs, and have high standards for conservation work. Our work is done inconspicuously, materials are kept consistent. Standards for reversibility are discussed with the client and identified at the outset.
Our mission is to conserve or restore, to the level where a stranger cannot tell that conservation, or restoration was done.
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Antique Furniture Dutchman Inlays and Marquetry
• Veneer or marquetry should be intact, and loose veneer re-adhered, so it will not fall off during cleaning or use.
• Inlays of solid wood or veneer should match the original, in thickness, cut, and grain pattern of the wood. Dutchman inlays are done consistent with the original joinery and construction.
• Wood “dry-rotted” by powder post beetles, may be cut out in structurally critical areas, that may have already broken in use, such as at the junction of chair rails and stiles, and Dutchman inlays inserted, and carved or veneered to match original profiles.
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Powder Post Beetle - Treatment of Infested Antique Furniture
• Removal of active infestations, such as powder post beetles. Infestations may be eliminated rapidly by traditionally used methylene bromide gas, or by the slow-working, non-polluting anoxic treatment with high concentration of carbon dioxide gas in a tent for a month. The use of carbon dioxide is a green treatment that does not use ozone-damaging methylene bromide, and is the recommended treatment method (although modern fumigation processes do re-cycle methylene bromide and avoid atmospheric release).
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Period Glass, Salvaged from Historic Buildings available in Large Sizes
• Antique Secretary bookcases or desks should have glass replacements if needed, using period wavy glass. We inventory period glass in larger sizes than manufactured or distributed by any Restoration Glass companies. We can quickly furnish replacement glass appropriate to any period.
• Three dimensional “slumped” glass available, and made in our shop. We fabricate forms and can fabricate three dimensional sheets of period glass to match .
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Glass slumped in kiln to replicate original glass from breakfront
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For Kittinger Breakfront, glass baked in kiln to achieve 3D shape |
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Glass slumped in kiln to replicate original glass from breakfront
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Pietre Dure, or Stone Veneer
Pietre Dure can develop problems with the cement holding the stone veneers to the stone substrate. In this case a recently made slate table base was veneered with floral stone veneers. The cement was unstable, and over 15 years the pietre dure veneers loosened. We had to lift the loose veneer out of the top, reattach the loose stone veneers, and replace the missing decoratively colored cement to match the original, adjacent colored cement, and grind, hone, and polish the table top. |
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Modern Pietre Dure Stone Marquetry Table with stones popping out and loosening
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Removing stone inlays and recreating pattern for replacement |
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Colored cement must be replicated too for this stone marquetry table
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Process of removing stones partially loose is painstaking to avoid damage |
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Stone marquetry after conservation
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Stone marquetry (pietre dure) table after- table is smooth, inlays stabilized |
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Antique Furniture Gallery
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Corporate Office, NYC Headquarters AIG Italian Baroque Bed
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Gothic Cabinet Persian Doors, ca. 11th century
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Circassian Walnut Raymond & Whittier
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Amer. Queen Anne Period Sofa Frame George I Period Chair
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Louis XV Period Fauteuil Armchair Victorian Bookcase Cabinet
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17th Century Italian Chest of Drawers Princeton College Amer.Empire Sideboard
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Chinese Lamps and Touchup English George III Period Sideboard
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