CONSERVATION OF FINE FURNITURE
Musical box cases are fine European and marquetry furniture- they require every skill necessary in fine furniture conservation- including ormolu mounts, enamel and hardstone inlays. Parquetry and marquetry with exotic woods all French polished. I have restored furniture since 1989 and maintain a complete woodshop. I have extensive sources in Italy to replicate missing elements at the highest level.
I am in my Rome studio several months a year working with artisans and restorers- gilding, chasing, casting, glasswork, scagliola and micromosaics, studying conservation and working. The level of expertise and sophistication in Florence is indisputably the best in the world. I maintain workrooms in Rome on Via dei Coronari- the only existing ancient Roman street in the city near the Senate and Piazza Navona.
There are enough clock men or woodworkers in Italy, but no specialists musical box restorers in 60 million Italians. As a result, I am developing contacts and working there as well. We are luckier here in the US and Northern Europe. There are some older restorers in many regions who you already may be familiar with.
GILDING CONSERVATION on Wood,
Metals, & Porcelain
After 15 years of restoring English and American early gilding, I studied and worked in Florence where I learned closely guarded Italian techniques. Applying gold leaf to a surface is trivial compared to the time, skill and art of patinating to the desired effect- up to a year. After we are done, your mirror will still look 300 years old. Usually, there is enough of the original underneath to be enhanced and blended after consolidating and cleaning the existing substrate of any later coatings. We are also skilled at the techniques of faux fire or mercury gilding used on English brass from the 18th century onward.
We also cold gild porcelain to matching the lost burnished surface and create eglomise panels on glass. To learn more about gilding, a good place to start is The Society of Gilders. For more information on conservation, visit the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works.
Restoration is laborious, dirty and highly delicate. Tolerances are gauged to the thousandth of an inch. All parts are cleaned and polished by hand. A music box movement cannot be dip cleaned like a clock; too many steel parts to rust and the hollow cylinders are filled with pitch and pumice that can slump slowly and often need labor. All metal parts to every screw are non-standard- they must be machined fresh or worked from rough parts still made in Switzerland. Quill dampers are still chicken quills and shellac. Wire dampers are replaced and fitted to work for years. And most difficult of all, comb teeth can be replaced to sound as clear and in tune as an original. A good restoration can take weeks. All cases are restored precisely as the box would have appeared new- with great attention paid to using only historically correct techniques and materials. I take 3 days to french polish a case alone. If it's broken, the inner glass lid will have an old piece of glass and not new.
Copies of original company literature and an explanation of your box's specific history and origin are supplied with each box. Case hardware is polished and gold lacquered, screws are re-blued, replacement keys are available too and I can even provide a custom made table for a special family piece.
Services
I presently work for clients throughout the eastern US and some in Europe. No other instrument sounds like a musical box. It is unique amongst automatic instruments. The work requires skill in many disciplines- clockmaking,machining, metallurgy, French ebenisterie, musical skills and an ear to tune. Governor work, re-dampering, pin straightening, comb repairs, and adjusting a box for optimum sound clarity require far more specialization than a clockrepairman can achieve without further training. Music boxes as a collectible antique have not really appreciated in years and that is not likely to change in the future. The only way to really enhance the value of a box is with restoration. The difference in value at auction on a restored functioning box and a diry one are surprisingly large. A box that might sell for $2-300 can sell for over $2000 when restored.
MUSIC BOX AND CLOCKWORK CONSERVATION
The best conservation uses only historically correct materials and tools. I guarantee all my work and strive to build long term relationships with all my collector clients. The best conservation will add value to your fine object's worth, beauty and enjoyability while allowing it to be used and enjoyed more by others without fear of further damage.
"We strive to educate our clients in the philosophy of conservation- the preservation of all existing original materials whileintegrating modern elements flawlessly."
It truly is impossible to estimate a restoration project without seeing the project firsthand and even then the work involved may reveal complications after beginning however our fees will never exceed our initial estimate. We can provide written appraisal work for our local clients.
All rights for the amazing pics reserved to Doug Wiggins
Proud Member of: MBSI, NAWCC, Washington Conservation Guild, AMMI
Expert conservation of Fine Antiques, Music Boxes & Gilding
DougWiggins