Lois XlV furniture has been causing a stir in Cumbria, where antique cabinets belonging to the Sun King himself are about to go back on display at Alnwick Castle. In Cumbria, antique cabinets are more likely to be Rococo Revival than £50 million originals – but their restoration takes just as much effort. Perhaps not quite as much as that expended by Yannick Chastang, the Kent furniture restorer who was approached by a group comprising experts from the from the V & A, National Trust, Palace of Versailles and Duke of Northumberland collection.
This was the third restoration for Alnwick’s heavily gilded and inlaid 17th century cabinets. They were in the Palace of Versailles until 1751, and first restored in 1753. Purchased by the 3rd Duke of Northumberland in1822, they were last restored in 1823, when they were re-gilded and received new ebonised plinths.
In Cumbria, antique marquetry furniture is usually thought of in terms of wood inlays. However, the antique cabinets at Alnwick combined wood with hard stone marquetry – rare, and extremely sensitive to air pollution and climate changes. Drying of the original adhesives had caused serious lifting of the inlays.
Using cutting edge 21st century techniques (all of which could be reversed) Chastang modified the original wax-based marquetry cement to improve its compatibility between wood and stone. He also undid previous bad restoration work – a common problem with antique marquetry furniture! In Preston, many antique dealers sell Rococo Revival furniture. In Cumbria, look for Victorian dining chairs in harlequin sets for a talking point at the dining table. Inlaid Louis XlV-style antique desks can also look stunning.