Sleep

Restoration of an early 19th-century somno, veneered with burl wood.’mahogany From Cuba. Let's be honest, previous restorations had done it a disservice. Indeed, the gaps and shrinkage in the wood had been filled with wood filler, then everything was disguised. The result: that's all you could see!

But first, a little bit of history.

What is a somno?

The somno appeared during the Consulate. It is a small bedside table, round or square, with closed storage. Its name comes from Latin. sleep, Sleep.

During the Empire period, it most often took the form of a pedestal on a base. Its bronze decoration varied depending on the maker and the room for which it was intended. Thus, in Jacob's work, one often finds a vase-urn or an antique lamp, while Marcion paid particular attention to ornamentation.

For example, Napoleon's writing desk at Compiègne (1809) features a sword with an eagle's head, tied to a laurel wreath. Here, the military theme clearly prevails. Later, with the addition of columns, the writing desk takes on the appearance of a small secretary, accessed through a door on the front. As for the round model, it was also produced during the Empire, but it was not widely used.

During the Restoration period, the somno became less common. Then, under Louis-Philippe, a small rectangular piece of furniture with a marble top replaced it. Finally, in the 20th century, the pedestal table and the coffee table took over.

The Restoration

First, I re-glued the veneer in places. Then, I replaced as many mahogany grafts as possible to remove the wood filler and restore a harmonious whole. It was quite a difficult job, given the number of defects.

Then the old varnish was stripped, the oxidized grafts removed, and a colorless French polish applied. Finally, the pivots and the locking mechanism were inspected and adjusted.

To see previous restorations : https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/