Ottawa - Canadian Association for Conservation

Wax on Wax off: Preserving the Integrity of Historic Furniture
Greg Kelley, Furniture Conservator
Greg Kelly, Antiques & Art, Toronto ON
Th is presentation will focus on consolidating furniture veneers with minimal change to the surface
and character of an object. The preservation of an object’s character and atmosphere is central to
conservation concerns.
Retaining the integrity of a dry or polished surface during a conservation treatment can prove
challenging, especially when re-gluing veneers. Perhaps this is why furniture conservators often use
barrier coats, such as wax, to alienate surfaces.
Applying wax as a barrier coat is suitable when an object has a history of being waxed; however, this
practice is not recommended for unwaxed objects. In fact, waxing artefacts can seriously compromise
a surface and alter the appearance of an object. This is especially true for artefacts with surfaces that
are to have a dry appearance. Fortunately, experimentation and experience prove that most surfaces are
robust enough to be subjected to treatments using hide or fish glues and do not require a barrier coat.
Hide and fish glues are preferred consolidants for furniture. The advantage of hide glue is that it draws
down veneer slightly as it cures, while fish glue does not.
Historic spirit- or oil-based finishes can withstand some exposure to a small amount of moisture from
glue, but not for long. There are a number of techniques a conservator can use to protect a finish while
consolidating veneers. For example, dust can be used to soak up the moisture from glue, or working
small areas and clamping with newspaper can also facilitate the process.
These methods will be illustrated through the treatments of the following examples: the Royal
Ontario Museum’s satinwood marquetry Fuhrlohg/Beck piano, circa 1777, aspects of a remarkable
seventeenth-century marquetry Wunderkammer, and parts of a nineteenth-century parquetry
bookcase. As the case studies will demonstrate, applying wax barrier coats during the conservation
process is unnecessary, and in fact compromises the integrity of historic furniture surfaces.
Wax on wax off, the choice is clear.