Patinations

Australian Cedar Chest

Australian Cedar Chest of Drawers with Cross-Banding, Tasmanian, circa 1860.

This Tasmanian chest of drawers has well figured cedar drawer fronts with applied elliptical cross-banding and displays a lovely original patina. It also features blackwood knobs and feet.

The chest had been deemed unusable because the drawers and drawer bearers were very worn. The cross-banding had also come away in sections, particularly in susceptible areas, such as where the drawers had dislodged it.

Treatments on the chest included its disassembly to allow full access to the drawers’ bearers. These were inverted to provide new square surfaces and a smooth sliding action. The cross-banding was re-created to replace lost sections and two blackwood knobs were made to replace two later (unoriginal) knobs. Missing brass key escutcheons were cast from originals, and then aged to match existing ones. The original patina was carefully preserved requiring only a conservation grade clean and wax.