Large over mantle
mirror around 1850 with mercury mirror plate. The frame fell into 4
pieces when the backboard and mirror were removed.
This frame had a
lot of bad repair in the past. Not only to the decoration but to
the wooden under frame as well. There were holes from wire at the
top that would have held a top decoration which was missing, except
for the droppers coming down onto the mirror.
Mostly covered in
gold paint which had oxidised and turned brown.
Frame before
restoration.
After removing
the bad wood repairs and attaching pieces of original compo
decoration which had fallen off.
Before
restoration showing some of the bad old 'restoration'.
Gessoed the new
wood and background ready for the new compo decoration.
After removing
the gold paint and the bad decoration repairs.
Water gilded in
23.75ct gold leaf and burnished then oil gilded in 23.5ct gold leaf
and aged.
Frame before
restoration missing the top decoration.
New compo
cartouche and bay leaf top to replase missing top
decoration.
Water gilded in
23.75ct gold leaf and burnished then oil gilded in 23.5ct gold leaf
and aged.
Before
restoration, bottom right hand side, missing foot and side
scroll.
Replaced foot and
wooden back of side scroll, gessoed and sanded. New compo side
scroll made up of two pieces from different moulds to match what
was left of the original left hand side scroll.
Water gilded in
23.75ct gold leaf and burnished then oil gilded in 23.5ct gold leaf
and aged.
Big pile of bad
repair removed from the mirror.
Underneath of a
piece of bad repair made up of matches (with the heads still on!)
and plaster
