Glazing and Gilding
Glazing
To achieve a high “invisible” restoration it is necessary to re-paint and re-glaze over the repaired areas. It is not ethical practice to re-fire pieces of china as further damage may be caused to the ceramic body and applied decoration.
Firing is also a non-reversible process, which means that it is incompatible with conservation and restoration ethics.
Therefore we use a “false” glaze which cures without the need for extreme heat. There are a range of solvent based and water based glaze mediums available which can match the many different types of porcelain and pottery glazes when skillfully applied.
The secret of professional “invisible” restoration is to apply the glaze mediums with an airbrush. This allows the edges of the reglazed area to blend in with the original surrounding areas. All colours are hand blended to match the existing glaze colours, and any decoration is hand painted on over the base coats. It may require several thin coats of different shades of glaze to achieve the required result. It is a skill which takes a lot of patience and practice to achieve well, and which separates the amateur repairer from the professional restorer
Gilding
Many types of porcelain and pottery have gilded decoration. This was originally applied over the glaze and consequently is prone to wear. As in the original manufacture, where re-gilding is necessary it is the last process of restoration. As we cannot fire on the gold the restorer has to use gold leaf, gold powder or one of the gold paints produced by art manufacturers.
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