A look back at a fascinating restoration project (at least for me). So fascinating, in fact, that I forgot to take photos at the beginning!
This cabinet dates from the 17th century. Its upper section has two drawers in a cornice and two doors. The base features two drawers in the frieze, supported by eight turned feet, and a top on ball feet. Inside, there are twelve drawers and two doors, concealing a theater and eleven additional drawers. The feet and moldings are made of solid pearwood. The rest of the frame is fir, veneered with ebonized pearwood. The theater is decorated with a checkerboard pattern of maple and ebony, and friezes of violet wood and satinwood. On the oil-painted scene, a gentleman courts a lady, watched by two cupids.
The central engravings on the doors depict two rural scenes: a gatherer and his dog, a shepherdess and her sheep.
Les cabinets
Cabinets appeared in the 17th century, initially as portable chests. They were later placed on stands in rooms known as cabinets of curiosities. Hence their numerous drawers, for storing the "curiosities" of the time.
It was this type of furniture that gave the cabinetmaker his name. The carpenter made the frame of the cabinet, then the "ebony cabinetmaker" veneered it with ebony. He sawed this very expensive wood into sheets a few millimeters thick, to get the most out of it.
Its provenance is difficult to establish. It is primarily veneered with blackened pearwood, not ebony, which suggests a more modest commission. It is also engraved rather than carved, which would have significantly reduced the cost of such a piece of furniture.
The Restoration
Côté restauration, les xylophages avaient beaucoup attaqué ce meuble. Je l’ai donc d’abord placé dans une poche hermétique pour le traiter par anoxie. Ensuite, il a fallu le renforcer et recoller le placage qui se détachait, par injection de colle sous vide. Cette opération a d’ailleurs permis de redresser les portes. Enfin, pour les manques de massif et de placage, j’ai utilisé du poirier collé à la colle chaude.
Puis je l’ai nettoyé à sec avec un Gex végétal, ce qui m’a permis de retirer la couche de finition cirée. Lors de ce nettoyage, j’ai ainsi constaté que le poirier avait perdu sa teinte noire et que la cire encrassait les gravures.
J’ai donc nettoyé toutes les gravures à l’aide d’une pointe à tracer à bout arrondi.
Une fois la restauration terminée, j’ai appliqué une teinte noire à l’eau sur tout le meuble. Ensuite, j’ai passé une couche de cire microcristalline légèrement teintée en noir.
Enfin, j’ai choisi de vernir l’intérieur du théâtre au tampon, pour lui donner un aspect plus « spectaculaire ».
