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Detail of a large oak Victorian Gothic revival cabinet, beautiful carved with figures, stylised foliage and scrolling oak leaves.

Carving Mouldings
Decorative details 

Woodcarving plays a significant role in antique furniture. Traditionally, the trades, arts, and crafts were highly specialised, with different craftsmen responsible for various aspects of a single piece. These individual trades or guilds were well-organized, fiercely competitive, and often secretive.

Background

Modern woodworkers operate in a very different world. The traditional arts and crafts have all but disappeared, superseded by exclusively mass produced products. Woodcarving was a specialised trade in and of itself. Woodcarvers once they had completed their apprenticeship under a master, would travel going from town to town applying their craft.

As a restorer and conserver of antiques a very wide range of skills and knowledge is required, both traditional craft skills and the latest technology. Frank can expertly replicate missing or lost carvings. 

Work in progress: Frank carving a lost piece of walnut moulding from an Edwardian overmantel.

This molding is for a fireplace overmantel from a historic Brisbane residence. The original was lost, and a replica needed to be made.

Small Mahogany moulding that has be precisely replicated to match the existing profile.

Replicated moldings from an Edwards & Roberts wardrobe. The profiles need to be precisely matched, often requiring the use of hand tools.

Process

There is an endless variety of applied mouldings, carvings, and decorative details associated with furniture. These elements are often vulnerable to damage, chipping, or becoming lost. 

  • Mouldings can be replicated in virtually any shape or size. It is critical that the exact profile to be replicated is exactly measured and drawn up as needed.

  • Mouldings were traditional done with hand tools. Frank will use a combination of hand and machine tools. Machines to rough out the shape, then moulding and rebate planes to finish the profile by hand.

  • The correct timber species is vital for a good match. Stocks of old timbers and veneers are used where possible. 

  • Often Frank needs to replicate a lost or damaged carving. Accurate, drawings, patterns and templates are made as needed.

  • Although Frank is a passionate advocate for craft skills he also understands the value of modern technology. Lidar scans and 3D prints are an excellent way to model in three dimensions.

  • A replaced carving or moulding needs to be finished in a way that integrates it aesthetically into the piece as a whole.

Missing carvings from an antique William IV bookcase. Frank has expertly replicated the lost carvings.

Applied carvings from a William IV bookcase. This piece went through floods and lost several carvings.

Exact replicas were made.

Cornice from a Georgian mahogany chest on chest. Missing dentils in the form of greek keys and small turnings have been replicated and are bing re-fitted.

A cornice from a high-quality Georgian chest-on-chest. Losses to Greek keys and small turnings were replicated.

A Jacobean or barley twist from a set of heavily carved oak chairs, being recarved back into shape after a repair.

Barley or Jacobean twists are a very old style that gained prominence during the reign of King James VI.

Badly damaged and missing joinery being recut and re-fitted.

Jacobean twists, in certain applications are vulnerable to breaking. Timber was inset and carved back to reclaim the shape.

A beautiful 18th-century Bergere (armchair) featuring rococo scrolling and shell carvings. Damage and losses to the carving were repaired and aesthetically integrated.

A lovely 18th-century Bergère (armchair) with beautiful carvings. This chair had sustained damage from wood borers, resulting in losses to the carvings. New carvings were replicated from old French oak and then patinated to aesthetically integrate them into the surrounding carvings.

Outcome

It is very satisfying to replicate a missing piece of carving or moulding. When engaging in this type of detail-focussed work, there is a constant balance between the macroscopic and microscopic. While details matter, they must also work contextually when the piece is viewed as a whole.

If you have a valuable antique with lost or damaged carvings and mouldings please contact Frank. 
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