26-AL-2019_Caravino, Castello di Masino (FAI), S. Erard, Harp n. 2828, inv. SBAS TO 1312

Facilitated description: 

 

The harp is a stringed musical instrument.
Sébastien Erard made the harp in 1811-1820 with different materials such as gilded wood, plaster, bone. 
The harp is kept at the Castello di Masino in Caravino in the music room. 
The Castle of Masino is an asset of the Italian Environment Fund. 
The La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre restored the harp in 2019. 
The restorers placed the harp in an anoxic chamber, an oxygen-free chamber that serves to eliminate wood-eating insects. 
They dismantled all the harp pieces. 
They glued the wood and gilding parts that were peeling off using the thermocautery (tool with hot tip). 
They cleaned all parts from dust using products suitable for each material. 
They filled the wooden gaps with stucco (plaster and glue). 
They painted the stucco with watercolors. 
They rebuilt some wooden parts at the bottom. 
The restorers replaced the metal nails with wooden nails and mounted new ropes. 

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention: 

 

Restoration

The harp of Sébastien Erard, preserved at the Castle of Masino (Music Hall) has been the subject of a conservative restoration, which had as its objectives the consolidation, the removal of previous restoration interventions and the structural and decorative integration. Therefore, the re-functionalisation of the instrument, which is now intended for a museum context, has not been taken into consideration. 
The operation began with disinfestation in the anoxic chamber for a period of three weeks. Subsequently, the ropes, ankles, nails and the base, from which the broken mechanical part was removed, were dismantled. This was followed by the consolidation of the decorative coating: the lifts of golden leaf were made to re-adhere with thermocautery, while for those of greater magnitude were made injections of acrylic resin and stop under weight. The atmospheric deposits were then removed with vacuum cleaners and brushes and the holes, tunnels and erosions due to an entomatic attack were consolidated. The decorated parts have been chemically cleaned and the metal ones with anti-oxidant products. The gaps in the wooden structure and the missing parts in correspondence of the harmonic case with balsitis and stucco added with bismuth to allow the recognition of the intervention were therefore compensated. Even the gaps of the decorative surface were integrated with the same method and chromatically intoned with watercolors. The nails have been replaced with wooden nails and the foot, dating back to the previous restoration, and the missing foot have been remade. In addition, the wooden part that covered the missing pedal was replaced with a brass insertion. Finally, all over the surface it was laid protectively and new nylon ropes were mounted.