Gilded Torchieres
Late 18th century; English
This pair of English, Adam period torchieres came into the studio with virtually no original surface remaining. At some point in their past, plywood had been added to the bases presumably to stabilize the structure. No evidence was found that torcheres of this type and proportion were fitted with triangular shaped bases, thus the plywood was removed. The structures were stabilized as needed and then water gilded in the traditional manner. The gilded surface was patinated to blend with other gilded objects in the room where the torchieres will be displayed. Finally, the original lead feet were coated and patinated to have a verde-antiqued appearance.
