The ultimate purpose of consolidation is to impart strength to the structure of the object so that it can bear its own weight, permit essential conservation processes and ensure it is fit for its purpose, whether that is display or intended function. In case of wood worm infestation, often the surrounding wood may be too weak to support the substrate itself, and penetrating materials have to be used in order to bring the object to solid state.
Wood Carving
Our conservators are highly skilled woodcarvers, who can reproduce any carved structure, from missing elements to the reproduction of entire pieces.
When Bernacki & Associates removed an upholstery cover on this Eastlake chair, it revealed an underlying structural damage caused by prior, multiple attempts at upholstering the chair.
A table leaf with expansion crack separation is reinforced and stabilized for functional use
Missing pieces of a sculpture are seamlessly restored and integrated
Detailed view of damaged figurine base during consolidation by Bernacki & Associates, Inc.
There are times when antiques require the attention of conservators. An interior designer or architect are often asked for a resource of whom they would feel best qualified for a particular piece.
The striking set of antique klismos chairs were part of a collection belonging to a client of Denise Antonucci, ASID, of ASI Interiors. She contacted Bernacki & Associates to care for the chairs. The chairs were not only beautiful to look at, but were also regularly used in her client’s home.
Mother-of-pearl is a beautiful naturally forming material that has been used as a decorative inlay for centuries. More properly known as nacre, it is a calcium and protein composite substance that is only produced by certain mollusks as an inner shell layer and is the outer layer of pearls. It is very strong and resilient due to its structure which consists of overlapping sheets of brittle aragonite separated by more elastic biopolymers. The thickness of the aragonite leads to the beautiful iridescence and structural colors that seem to change and flow as your viewing angle shifts. It has been used in the design of jewelry, decorative objects such as furniture and musical instruments, and architecture. In furniture, mother-of-pearl has mostly been applied in graceful, distinctive inlays to contrast with surrounding wood or other surrounding surfaces or as a complete overlay to add beauty to a less distinctive substrate.
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