Napoleon III worker

Restoration of a Napoleon III period sewing table in marquetry of mother-of-pearl, brass and ebony.

As you can see from the photos, this sewing machine was in very poor condition. Only the affection and sentimental value of its owner saved it. Indeed, the time required to restore this sewing machine was far too great compared to the object's value.

Almost all of the brass inlays on the base were missing, there were many areas where the veneer was missing, and there was damage from a chair and another from a dog bite.

But the bulk of the work was on the set. It had almost certainly suffered water damage, and the plywood was completely shattered. Many of the marquetry pieces were missing.

The restoration therefore consisted of removing the marquetry from the tabletop in order to work on its support and to glue a new backing plate to it in order to stabilize the tabletop.

After removal, the existing marquetry was almost entirely restored, the aim being to preserve what was there without imagining or creating what did not exist. Once completed, the new pieces were cut to the correct thickness by working on the back side to avoid sanding the front, thus preserving the engravings on it.

Then, the marquetry was reattached to its backing. The entire piece of furniture was re-stained and then varnished with a French polish.

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