Surface
Treatment
Finishings can vary between natural and synthetic and have varied over time depending on the region, use, material and desired effect. Finishings can be regenerated, conserved or replaced, depending if it's a French polish, wax, oil or synthetic material.
Dining table
This dining table made of solid native Australian wood was blackened after years of wax application. The old and soft beeswax was removed and replaced with a harder carnauba and beeswax mix, better adapted to the use of the table.
Side Table 2 Attributed to Joseph Schneevogl
This 1930 cabinet designed by Jacques Emile Ruhlmann to furnish a young woman's university board room is conserved at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs of Paris. It was made of panelling and veneered with ash. It had a lot of signs of use and wear which were filled and retouched and a very damaged nitrocellulose varnish which was conserved with a modern conservation varnish.
