A look back at the restoration of a 17th-century Louis XIII table. It is made of solid walnut and veneered with walnut, ebony, ivory, and boxwood. This table spent a long time in an attic, and unfortunately, the tabletop suffered considerably. Many veneers were missing.
The restoration began by removing what little veneer remained. It was very easy; it was completely detached. I simply had to lift it with a thin blade, and it came right off.
After removing the veneer, I re-glued the tabletop, adding material where the wood panel had shrunk so as not to lose width, so that the marquetry would be in its exact place.
Then I recreated the marquetry, based on the existing elements. Since the veneer was quite thick (4 mm), it was all made in-house. Even the boxwood stringing was done.
The reconstructed marquetry was then glued in place with hot glue and lightly sanded. The rest of the piece was re-glued and treated with anoxic agents to protect against wood-boring insects.
The finish is a waxed filling.
Very nice work!
THANKS