Restoration | Kenta Takeshige

Raden Urushi Frame

Material: Paulownia / Surface: Mother-of-Pearl, Urushi

Furniture: Art-Nouveau Music Cabinet by Louis Majorelle

Material: Walnut / Veneer: Ash in Blister Figure, Rose Wood, Mahogany, Walnut, Clustered Maple, Cherry, Chestnut, Pear, Lemon Tree, Holly

Art Nouveau cabinet by Louis Majorelle (1859 – 1926), furniture designer from the French Nancy School. On the top in the right corner at the front is a signature. The main body is made of walnut. Flowing engraving is applied to the pillar that has been carved out fine to the extreme. Inlay with delicate flowers and butterflies are arranged on the top, door, drawer, shelves, and side panel against the background of ash in Blister Figure veneer. The lower right side panel uses an openwork panel instead of inlay.

After removing the old shellac layer, which was throughout damaged, I fixed peeled veneer and broken pieces. The marquetry was carefully sanded and French polishing was applied.

Inlay with veneer is called marquetry (marqueterie). Marquetry allows one to combine veneers of various tree species to create pictorial and geometric patterns. It is characterized by making the best use of the grain, figures, and colours of different tree species. Veneer can be coloured to create a tone that is not available in nature. By burying the veneer in hot sand, it is somewhat baked to enhance the shading effect. In addition to veneer, tortoiseshell, shell pieces, fangs/horns, precious metals are also used. Inlay that combines tortoiseshell and precious metals is called Boulle Work after André Charles Boulle.

Furniture: Art-Nouveau Side Table by Louis Majorelle

Material: Beech / Veneer: Silky Oak, Rose Wood, Mahogany, Walnut, Clustered Maple

Art Nouveau side table by Louis Majorelle (1859 – 1926), furniture designer from the French Nancy School. There is a signature on the table top. The main body is made of beech. Three organic legs support a shamrock table top, and there is a shelf on the underside of these legs. The background of the table top is made of silky oak veneer. The drawing consists of holly leaves that follow the contours of the table top and surround petals of light. Light emitted from the central circle that resembles the sun.

After removing the old shellac layer, which was throughout damaged, I fixed peeled veneer. The marquetry was carefully sanded and French polishing was applied.

Furniture: Vintage Cabinet by Cees Braakman

Material: Birch board, Birch plywood, Beech

A vintage cabinet　CB06 (1956, birchwood collection) designed by Cees Braakman, a Dutch designer at Pastoe UMS. The drawers and legs made of bended plywood, are impressive. After removing the old varnish layer, which was throughout damaged, I fixed peeled veneer and broken pieces. I retouched the drawers and doors so that they would move smoothly. By sanding I removed as many scratches as possible and applied new varnish.