Cultural History
The objects treated are a pair of candlesticks that were gifted to the owner by his cousin. The owner and his cousin are originally from Naples, Italy. According to the owner, his cousin is related to Carlo Pisacane, the Neapolitan revolutionary before Giuseppe Garibaldi. Pisacane’s family was well connected to the Neapolitan aristocracy between 1700 and 1940, so they received many presents from friends. These pair of candlesticks are likely to be also a gift that the owner’s cousin got from a friend around the 1930s. This pair of candlesticks appear with male and female figures, and it is possible that it is based on the idea of equality and symmetry. They may also represent religious believes, as it was believed that the man represents the light of Christ, and the woman represents the church.
Condition Before Treatment
Structural
- Candlestick with male figure: It showed signs of it being broken into four different pieces before, as well as an attempt of reattaching these broken pieces was made. Small parts from the candle holder, the male figure feet, and the base of the candlestick was missing as well.
- Candlestick with female figure: The candle holder (top part) was completely missing, and no other pieces came with it that can be restored.
(Right) The missing part in the candlestick with female figure.
Surface:
- Candlestick with male figure: Along the broken edges, the degraded yellow adhesive residue was visible. There was an excess adhesive because of overapplication during the previous restoration attempt. There was also a heavy and poorly performed over paint that does not match the original colours.
- Candlestick with female figure: the surface of this candlestick appeared to be in a stable state that did not require any intervention.
One side of the candlestick with male figure under the ultraviolet light to show the over paint.
Simplified Treatment Report
Male Figure candlestick
The dirt and most of the waxy residue from the inside of the candle holder was cleaned using dry cleaning technique. The waxy residue was picked up using toothpicks. However, there was some residue that still stuck on the surface and could not be picked with toothpicks. So, the surface area was flooded with whit spirit to soften the residue and toothpicks were used to remove and pick it from the surface. The overpaint was also removed with white spirit using on cotton swabs. This efficiently removed the excess paint and exposed the original colours, which were in a good condition.
to remove the old adhesive The candlestick was bathed in Dichloromethane for about two hours to allow for complete saturation. The candlestick was placed in a beaker containing Dichloromethane and sealed tightly using cling film and masking tape, then placed in the fume cupboard to prevent its evaporation into the outside air. Then mechanical force was used to separate the 4 shreds. There were residues of adhesive at the joints of the broken pieces. It was first removed mechanically using a scalpel. Then a steam water machine was used to get rid of the adhesive residue. Then two part epoxy was used to re-bond the shreds.
Superfine White Milliput© was used to fill the cracks in the top and the feet of the male figure. Also, Flügger© was used to fill in the voids formed in the fracture joints lines after re-bonding them and a crystacal plaster was used To fill the base.
Female Figure Candlestick
A replacement of the upper part was created using the candle holder from the other candlestick as a refrence in order to re-establish aesthetic and historical value. It was decided to do a split mould as it would be most appropriate. The silicone rubber was chosen as the mold material. To make the mold a Lego© tank was created and covered with cling film and rubber bands was used to hold the cling film in place. plasticine plugs were used to lift the candle holder off the surface as well as to create key holes to pour the plaster later. After that, the silicone rubber mixture was poured into the Lego© tank and set harden for about 3 hours. Then, the de-moulding process took place by cutting the formed mould into two halves.
The two mould cut were sticked together using a long, thick rubber band. Then, the crystacal plaster was poured into the mold. After 15 minutes of curing, the casting was taken out of the mould. Due to the condition of the mold from the inside, its irregular shape caused some lumps and gaps to appear in the new candle holder. However ,because this mold makes such a perfect candle holder, it was decided to just smooth out and sand the lumps and fill in the gaps. The lumps were sanded using sanding drill and sandpaper. The gaps were filled using Flügger©. The bottom of the new candle holder has been cut and sanded to integrate with the missing parts on the bottom of the candle holder. All of the replacement pieces were adhered to the ceramic using two-part epoxy. The gaps between the new material and the original material were filled using Flügger©.
To colour match the new materials Golden Acrylics© colours were chosen for their colour quality, ease of use and full reversibility.
The new materials attached to the candlestick.
Making the mould
Before And After Treatment Photos
Reflection by the Conservator
The treatment described above was carried out to preserve the aesthetic, social and historical values of the pair of candlesticks. The treatment and restoration processes of these candlesticks was successful until the last stage, and it contributed effectively to preserving the values of these two candlesticks. This process went smoothly and clearly from the beginning, and a lot of skills were learned and employed in it, such as mould making methods and determining the penalties that might be encountered, and the decision-making skill was well employed in it.
This object was treated by Alla, click on her profile to learn more about her.