Congratulations to Damien (intern) for restoring this games table! Boulle marquetry. It's fair to say there was a lot of work to be done. Almost all the brass plating had come loose; there were some missing brass pieces, but above all, a lot of missing tortoiseshell. The adhesives were severely dehydrated, judging by the blistering tortoiseshell.
The gaming table was completely disassembled. All the missing brass pieces were cut out using a marquetry tool and then engraved with a burin. For the tortoiseshell, we opted for a synthetic material rather than animal hide. All the brass veneers on the crossbars were removed and annealed before being reinserted into their original positions. They were then glued on with fish glue. Some required several attempts, as the result wasn't always satisfactory. But with perseverance (and a demanding mentor), a good result is always achieved!
All the veneered surfaces were then sanded and filled with charcoal powder before being finished with a clear French polish. A new wool cloth was then applied, while the original braid was retained. The bronzes were cleaned using ultrasound and a Panama wood polish.
Congratulations again to Damien, keep it up.
To see previous restorations : https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/
You can find this piece of furniture at the Dagault gallery
