Restoration of an old painted oak boardsign: a case study

Abstract

The present paper refers to restoring a small dimension, but great complexity and beauty old oak board, part of a blacksmith wrought iron signboard. The object belongs to the blacksmith guild and is impressive by its shape, proportions, manufacturing, decorated wrought iron elements, and painted ornaments on wood. The object was not restored before, though there were some previous attempts to remediate defects over time. The present restoration refers to the wooden panel exclusively and it was achieved following the restoration principles and code of ethics. The materials chosen for the restoration and conservation have determined the increase in the resistance of the finish, the finishing and bio-protection agents of the wood have improved the quality of the finished surfaces, being at the same time environmentally friendly materials, giving the object a lasting resistance and thus extending its life.