This french kingwood veneered table with ormolou mounts had been shipped back to England from Australia. It had suffered in the damp conditions and the base had mould growing on it. The ormolou mounts were heavily tarnished and missing most of their original gilt.
The mounts and handles were all removed and sent to a specialist metal restorer to be re-gilded. The brass banding could not be removed so this was cleaned and polished before being lacquered to resemble gilt. The finish on the table was degrading and flaking off in areas so it was gently removed with chemicals. Small pieces of missing veneer were replaced with matching period wood. Finally, the piece was wax polished and the ormolou mounts refitted to complete the restoration.
