|
| | | |
 |  |
| | | Metamorphic
Library Chair | View progress: 1
| 2
| 3 |
| | | This rare
and unusual metamorphic library chair from the Regency period had extensive previous
repairs that were now failing. When upright the chair functions as usual, but
when it is turned over and released, stair steps form to reach the upper shelves
of books. The back legs were split and detached, with one of the mortise and tenon
joins drilled out. All the joins on the bottom half of the chair were glued with
polyvinyl acetate adhesive on top of the original hide skin glue. These joins
were also failing. The caned seat had obviously been replaced at least once, and
it too was now ripped and torn along the back edge.
The bottom half of
the chair was dismantled and all previous adhesives cleared from the joins. The
damaged mortise and tenon join was reworked as a two-sided tenon. All splits were
secured and reconstruction was with traditional hide glue, used both for its durability
as well as its reversibility. The cane seat was rewoven and stained. All dents
and scratches in the surface coating were filled and touched in to integrate the
appearance. A final application of wax was applied overall and polished. |
