Nancy Davis Kho of the San Francisco Chronicle recently published a pair of articles on antique restoration. the two articles are more profile pieces for restorers Sarah Johnson and Luis Rossi, but it does contain some interesting content. She does briefly mention that many US restorers are self taught as opposed to those in Europe who went through an apprentice system, along with the concern that antique restoration is becoming a lost art. I am not sure of that, as there are many very talented restorers and conservators of the decorative arts. Many appraisers probably have several accomplished restorers or conservators in their files.Kho states The work requires painstaking attention to detail, an interest in history, and skills from carpentry and leatherworking to painting and gilding. It's a craft that, if done properly, should call virtually no attention to itself.
Niccolo Caldararo, vice president of the Bay Area Art Conservation Guild, said restoration should be understood as different from art conservation, which seeks to preserve the history of cultural property. "The goal of antique restoration is to make it look like nothing ever happened," Caldararo said.
Kho continues Because virtually all of the furniture that Rossi works on is pre-20th century, it sometimes incorporates ivory, which is much harder to procure now because of efforts to halt the illegal trade of animal ivory. Stacked against some shelves in the workshop is an old Biedermeier piano keyboard, whose ivory keys are repurposed to fill in any missing ivory pieces on the furniture; Rossi also uses antique ivory billiard balls. As for modern alternatives, "We use the Tang nut from Indonesia," Rossi says, pointing to a cabinet whose drawer pulls are made from the white material. They are nearly indistinguishable from the original ivory pulls left on the piece.
Rossi laments the loss of the artisan apprenticeship culture in America, but does his best to maintain that approach within his workshop. "I hire a lot of young people who are willing to learn, and who will stay long enough to learn the trade," Rossi says. "It takes five years to really master the skills," he says, gesturing toward the shop floor to cabinet-makers, finishers, gilders and painters who each comprise part of his team.
To read the SF Chronicle article on Srah Johnson, click HERE, to read the article on restorer Louis Rossi, click HERE.
1 comment:
The difference between American born restorers, and European is that if you grew up in the US and flunked out of everything else, you could end up in furniture restoration as a trade in your 20's, poorly educated and ill prepared for a craft trade.
In Eastern Europe, where socio-economic mobility was limited until recently, growing up one would often follow his fathers occupation, regardless of intelligence. If you were smart, you would make a fine cabinetmaker/restorer. And you would learn the trade, educated properly, with superb skills well before you were 20. Why would any restoration shops in the US look for non-Eastern European or Egyptian craftsmen (experienced with marquetry)?
The US craftsman will be too ambitious and restless, and go out on his own. The Eastern European will be a loyal, hardworking employee for decades. I speak from experience, as the owner of Olek Lejbzon & Co.
See our website for testimonials, with hundreds of photographs of what Eastern European craftsmen can accomplish.
Peter Triestman 212-243-3363
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