37-AL-2007_Venaria, Reggia, P. Piffetti, Toilet box (property Piedmont region)

Facilitated description:

 

The toilet box is a small wooden and ivory container made by Pietro Piffetti in 1738.
The dressing table inside has a mirror.
The dressing table is kept at the Reggia di Venaria.
The La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre restored the dressing table in 2007 for the reopening of the Reggia di Venaria.
The restorers fixed the joints and the lock.
They glued the raised wooden tiles.
They replaced the light wood inserted in the past in the ruined ivory parts.
They rebuilt the missing parts with wood and spread a layer of wax into the missing decoration parts.
In the end they polished the box with brushes.

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

 

The work has been entrusted by the Piedmont Region for the preparation of the Reggia di Venaria. The restoration was carried out on the occasion of the inaugural exhibition 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).

Restoration

The restoration included the verification of the functionality of the hinges and the lock and the control of the joints of the various assemblies. On the pictorial decoration the light wooden essence has been replaced, inserted in place of the missing ivory threads and the raised tiles have been glued. In addition, the missing boxwood parts were integrated, wax grouting was performed and a final polishing was done with brushes and soft cloths. 

 

Bibliography 

S. De Blasi, Sheet 15.9, n The Royal Palace of Venaria Reale and the Savoy. Art, magnificence and history of a European court, edited by E. Castelnuovo (catalogue), Turin, Allemandi, 2007, p. 258.