15-FA-2005_Venaria Reale, Reggia di Venaria, L. Prinotto, Desk at the "mazzarina" (property of the Piedmont Region)

Facilitated description:

 

The mazzarina desk is a type of desk named after Cardinal Giulio Raimondo Mazarino.
Luigi Prinotto created the desk in 1725-1730.
The desk is kept at the Reggia di Venaria.
The Conservation and Restoration Center "La Venaria Reale" restored the desk in 2005-2006 for the reopening of the Reggia di Venaria.
The restorers disassembled the legs of the desk to fix all the pieces of the lower part.
They filled the missing parts by gluing wooden and ivory tiles.
They cleaned the desk of dust.
They removed the old layer of wax that covered the desk.
They painted the desk to protect it from sunlight and dust.

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

 

The restoration of the desk, owned by the Piedmont Region, was carried out on the occasion of the exhibitions 8 restorations from "La Venaria Reale". The Conservation and Restoration Centre: a new reality for cultural heritage (Turin, Palazzo Bricherasio, 26 January - 4 February 2007) and The Royal Palace of Venaria Reale and the Savoy. Art, magnificence and history of a European court (Reggia di Venaria, 12 October 2007 - 30 March 2008). 
One of the interesting results, which emerged from the restoration, is the inscription engraved with the name of the court painter Pietro Domenico Olivero. 

Restoration

The intervention has begun with the disassembly of the legs for the consolidation of the injured cruises. Subsequently, the eight turned feet were rebuilt. The missing veneer parts were made from rosewood and ebony and glued with hot glue. The missing ivory threads were reconstructed using ivory, cut into threads. The entire interior surface of the cabinet, including the drawers, has been cleaned of dust. The outside of the cabinet has been cleaned of the numerous layers of wax and dust. A cleaning and partial removal of the protective of the ivory inlays with suitable solvent was also carried out and a slight watercolour retouching of the ivory incisions was carried out.
The missing parts of painting were reintegrated with shellac paint. 
The entire outer surface of the furniture was then treated with wax spread with a brush and polished with a buffer. 

 

 

Bibliography

- S. De Blasi, Scheda, in 8 restorations from "La Venaria Reale". The Conservation and Restoration Centre: a new reality for cultural heritage, catalogue of the exhibition (Turin, Palazzo Bricherasio, 26 January - 4 February 2007), pp. 12-15;
- F. Gualano, A. Merlotti, Schede 15.6, in The Royal Palace of Venaria Reale and the Savoy. Art, magnificence and history of a European court, edited by E. Castelnuovo, catalogue of the exhibition (Reggia di Venaria, 12 October 2007 - 30 March 2008), pp. 256-257; 
- S. De Blasi, Sheet 8, in The restoration of wooden furniture. The Piedmont cabinet-making: Studies and Researchand, edited by C. E. Spantigati, S. De Blasi, Firenze, Nardini, 2011, pp. 137-140.