This week marks the completion of the restoration of a Louis XVI period secretary desk.
Martin Ohneberg (Master in 1773), the cabinetmaker who crafted this piece, was an excellent marquetry artist and used very high-quality rosewood. He produced numerous pieces of furniture with very simple lines but exquisite marquetry, including an endless variety of drop-front secretaries.
This particular piece is veneered with rosewood and amaranth, and features a mosaic marquetry of maple blossoms on a red satinwood background. The framing bands are made of carved maple, and the green fillets are stained hornbeam. The frame is constructed of oak, beech, and fir for the panels.
Regarding the restoration, the main problems are as follows: the fir panels have shrunk and the joints have come unglued. For the marquetry, the glue is severely dehydrated and there are "bell-shaped" patches across all the mosaics. The mechanism of the drop-leaf door has become loose and no longer functions properly.
The restoration therefore consisted of re-gluing and restoring the structure of the piece of furniture. Once this was done, the missing veneer was filled, and all the veneers were re-glued using an infiltration technique. The following two photos show the before and after of the re-gluing process.
After the repairs were completed, the piece was stripped with an environmentally friendly stripper specifically designed for furniture restoration. It was then filled with pumice, the grafts were oxidized, and it was French polished. The bronze mounts were cleaned and reattached. The locks were serviced and made functional, and new leather was fitted.
