17mc31/32-AL-2013_Nichelino, Hunting Lodge of Stupinigi, G. M. Bonzanigo, 2 Sofas, inv. 272, 273

Facilitated description: 

 

The 2 sofas are made of gilded wood and fabric.
Giuseppe Maria Bonzanigo made the sofas in 1787-1790.
The sofas are kept in the Hunting Palace of Stupinigi, in the King's Room.
The La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre restored the sofas in 2013. 
The restorers have placed the sofas in an anoxic chamber (room without oxygen that serves to eliminate insects that eat wood). 
They cleaned the couches of dust.
They stopped the parts that were coming off.  
They filled with stucco (plaster and glue) the missing wood parts and holes caused by insects eating the wood. 
They painted the stucco with watercolors. 
The restorers have reconstructed one of the missing roses of sofa no. 273. 
They put a product against insects that eat wood. 
In the end they painted the sofas to protect it from the sun's rays and dust. 

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

 

Restoration

Initially the works were placed in anoxic chamber for disinfestation for a period of three weeks. A chemical cleaning of the deposits and the mechanical removal of the most consistent sediments were then carried out on the entire golden surface. On the painted surface a mechanical cleaning was carried out with medium soft rubbers.
The consolidation of the lifts was carried out with injections of acrylic resin. The gaps were grouted and chromatically integrated with watercolor colors and mica powder. The flickering holes have been filled with waxy putty added with natural pigments. In addition, at the request of the Directorate of Works, the following measures were carried out: 
- the central bow of the crown of sofa 273 has been chromatically tuned to selection with watercolor colors;
- the missing rose placed on the left side of sofa 273 has been reconstructed and chromatically tuned to selection with watercolor colors;
- the upper part of the front right leg of the 273 sofa, integrated with metal parts in a previous restoration, was replaced with turned wood subsequently chromatically integrated with watercolor colors;
- the surface layer of resin has been lightened on the two sofas by means of an ethanol gel solution in klucel.
Finally, preventive disinfestation with anti-moth solution was carried out and the final painting was carried out.