RESTORATION OF SACRED FURNITURE

EACH ITEM is studied individually to give it the appearance it had originally.

THE VARIOUS CHOICES of processing are agreed step by step with the Priest.

In any case THE STAGES OF A RESTORATION for objects in precious and non-precious metals, with silver or gold plating made in a galvanic bath, roughly follow the following stages:

1) STUDY OF THE OBJECT, detection of dents, oxidations, fusion defects, micro-holes, unbalances in the assembly, etc…;

2) DISASSEMBLY of the object into its various component parts;

3) Recovery of the various defects described above to bring the object to the original modelling;

4) CLEANING of all damaged protective varnishes;

5) SILVER PLATING and GOLDING with galvanic bath;

6) BURNISHING, BRUSHING, POLISHING (on the parts modeled in silver);

7) Protective REPAINTING, except on the cups of the chalices and patens because parts that welcome Wine or Hosts;

8) REASSEMBLY of the object.

before

after

CANDELABRA in Silver

The present oxidation was removed and a protective was given to avoid the subsequent oxidation of the silver.

details

before

Chalice and paten in silver, with gilding, to be restored.

The central part, the knot, was made of silver resin. Most likely this was used for the greater ease of obtaining a representative model.

Both objects showed evident wear of the gilding and generalized oxidation.

Some scratches were present near the writing underneath.

There are also some dents on the base of the paten.

after

Chalice and paten restored.

Removed dents and scratches;

Gilded the cups;

Re-silvered, burnished, brushed and protected the silver parts.

Chalice and paten in silver and gilding.

The central part, the node, had several micro-holes.

Both objects showed evident wear of the gilding due to use and generalized oxidation.

before

Chalice and paten restored.

Recovered the node, which now has a clean and compact surface;

Gilded the cups;

Re-silvered, burnished, brushed and protected the silver parts.

after

GOLDEN GOBLET AND PATENA

with embedded photos

Also in the case of this chalice and paten, as can be seen from the photos, the objects showed a considerable wear of all the gilding that entirely covered the objects, so much so that it almost seemed like a double coloration due to the fact that the underlying silver emerged.

It was necessary to disassemble all the parts, including the photos set in the base and then proceed with the cleaning and re-gilding of everything, then protecting with a protective coating except in the cups where the wine and/or hosts are located.

THE RESTORED OBJECTS looked like this:

AMBROSIAN Ostensorium

The monstrance had parts that had become black; but this was due not only to the oxidation of the silver but precisely to the use that the silver plating had consumed.

The cylindrical glass was chipped and had a crack from top to bottom.

It was necessary to proceed with the general cleaning of the protective coating, the re-silvering and re-gilding of the various parts; replacing the glass with a new one; reassemble everything and re-protect with suitable paint to avoid new oxidation.

After the restoration, the OSTENSORY looked like this: