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SJ Conservation

Gallery

Minton Sèvres-style urn

Object
Two-handled urn
Material
Soft-paste porcelain, painted in enamels and gilt
Collection
Private collection
Scope
Reconstruction from 51 fragments, loss compensation, retouching and gilding

Before

Minton Sèvres-style porcelain urn before restoration, in 51 fragments.
51 fragments

After

Minton Sèvres-style porcelain urn after restoration: reassembled, reconstructed, retouched and gilded.

Condition

Fragmented into 51 sherds, with staining along break edges, gilding losses and several significant areas of loss.

Treatment

  1. 01Surfaces and break edges cleaned.
  2. 02Fragments re-bonded with a semi-cured epoxy to control alignment.
  3. 03Losses filled; larger missing areas reconstructed.
  4. 04Fills refined and retouched after colour and sheen bench tests.
  5. 05Gilding reinstated with gold leaf and powdered gold.

Process

Reconstructed losses at the urn shoulder and neck before retouching.
Losses made up at the shoulder and neck before retouching
Minton urn after bonding, filling and reconstruction.
After bonding, filling and reconstruction
Bench samples testing colour and sheen for retouching the urn.
Bench tests for colour and sheen
Gilding test samples using gold leaf and powdered gold.
Gilding tests: gold leaf and powdered gold
Neck and handles of the Minton porcelain urn after restoration and gilding.
After treatment: neck and handles

Outcome

The urn was reassembled and its decoration reintegrated for display.

Photographs: Sujin Jung.

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