17mc43-AL-2013_Nichelino, Stupinigi Hunting Lodge, G. M. Bozanigo, F. Bolgiè (attr.), Footrest, inv. 675

Facilitated description: 

 

The footrest is made of gilded wood and fabric.
Giuseppe Maria Bonzanigo and Francesco Bolgiè made the footrest in 1787-1790.
The footrest is kept at the Hunting Palace of Stupinigi, in the King's Room.
The La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre restored the footrest in 2013. 
The restorers have placed the footrest in the anoxic chamber (room without oxygen that serves to eliminate insects that eat wood). 
They cleaned the footrest 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. 
They put a product against insects that eat wood. 
In the end they painted the footrest to protect it from the sun's rays and dust. 

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

 

Restoration

The footrest of the King's Chamber (Stupinigi's Hunting Palace) was subjected to disinfestation in the anoxic chamber for a period of three weeks. Subsequently, a chemical cleaning of the deposits and the mechanical removal of the most consistent sediments was carried out on the entire golden surface. On the painted surface a mechanical cleaning was carried out with rubbers of various softness.
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.
Finally, a preventive disinfestation was carried out with anti-moth solution and the final painting.