Jennifer Lee Ceramic Vase

Jennifer Lee's work is represented in collections worldwide. Lee is known for her unglazed, hand-built pots and distinctive coloring technique. She mixes metallic oxides into the clay before shaping it, developing a unique texture and color in every piece. The simplicity and elegance of her work stands out in contrast to its earthly tones and wabi-sabi aesthetic. This vase's pieces were carefully reassembled, the chips were filled, and the surface was touched up to match. A minimalist approach can often work wonders on pieces like ...

Love Seated by Mackenzie Thorpe

The detail that artists can achieve with modern materials and techniques is impressive. Resins unlock a vast array of creative possibilities while providing a more affordable alternative to traditional sculptural mediums. Artist Mackenzie Thorpe has creatively reinterpreted a number of her paintings in resin. This piece, titled Love Seated, was one of an edition cast in resin and hand-painted. Works in resin are generally not mass-produced; each one is carefully crafted by a studio if not individually by the artist. The small details ...

Sunburst Snuff Jar

This “Sunburst Snuff Jar,” manufactured in Keene, New Hampshire, sometime between 1815 and 1830, is one of the most sought-after glass bottles by collectors. We've had the pleasure of working on two of these bottles. Unfortunately, all but a couple still in existence are damaged in one way or another. This example came to us with a fairly sizable crack that had quite a dramatic impact on how the bottle displayed. Glass has a tendency to be somewhat unpredictable when it ...

Roseville Futura Vase

American art pottery is one of our owner Michael's very favorite types of object to restore. Each studio had its own distinct style that would evolve throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The molded stoneware, low relief, and incised decoration was a carefully crafted backdrop for glazes that would highlight the form and texture of the pottery. This Roseville vase was manufactured in the late 1920s as part of the Futura pattern. Perhaps it is a more modest example of the Art Deco style, but it ...

Sosuke Tray

A leading expert in cloisonne authenticated that this tray is an unsigned piece by Namikawa Sosuke and, even more remarkably, a photographic example of a similar tray that is based on the same artwork by the artist Watanabe Seitei. Most specialists will confidently attribute this tray to the Tokyo branch of Shippo Gaisha, managed by Namikawa Sosuke. We initially cleaned and bleached the cracks, taking care not to damage the patina of the metalwork. We bent the rim back into shape ...

Picasso Woman Lamp

This is one of many editions Pablo Picasso created in collaboration with Madoura Pottery. Every piece in the edition, titled Woman Lamp, is hand-painted and unique. A face is depicted on each side with incised lines and a familiar palette of glazes over engobe. Though some of the damage to the piece was new, there was evidence of previous restoration. This isn't unusual when it comes to pottery of this quality. Everything was carefully reassembled, minimizing any evidence of adhesive. Such porous surfaces are ...

Blanc de Chine Figure

This Blanc de Chine figure likely depicts the Taoist immortal, Magu. She is often shown as a beautiful young woman, adorned with flowers, holding a ewer containing the elixir of life in hands with long, delicate fingernails, and is accompanied by a deer, a symbol of immortality. Similar items, also known as Dehua porcelain, were created as early as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). This example, however, likely dates from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). The clear glaze over the white porcelain can create a ...

Mother of Pearl Opera Glasses

These gilt brass and mother of pearl opera glasses (circa 1881) were in need of some cosmetic restoration. Thankfully, the lenses and mechanism were in excellent condition. The original adhesive used to apply the mother of pearl had become discolored and desiccated, separating the mother of pearl from the turned metal substrate. With the use of high-grade epoxies, we were able to apply the fallen pieces and seal what remained intact to prevent further deterioration. The contours were shaped to match the original surface ...

Handel Lamp Shade

We have seen countless examples of Handel lamp shades over the years. The earlier forms depict expertly painted landscapes that glow from within. Reverse painted enamel creates a sense of depth when viewed through the delicately patterned exterior and the light often resembles that of the setting sun. This particular shade came to us in dozens of pieces, but we have dealt with much worse. We reassembled every last piece provided to us, including some as small as a grain of rice, and the reconstructed ...

Alabaster Bust

Alabaster is one of the softer materials we work with. Even the specially formulated sandpaper developed by our studio will damage the surface. It takes patience and a steady hand to restore something of this nature without detracting from the translucency and amber color that the stone acquires over time. We use durable, non-yellowing adhesives and color-matched, translucent fillers for a quality restoration that will stand the test of time without discoloring or deteriorating.