Informatie over het komende symposium

10th International Symposium on Wood and Furniture Conservation

Organised by Stichting Ebenist -  8&9 October 2010 Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Restoring Joints, Conserving Structures

Joints and structures are familiar aspects of a furniture conservator’s everyday practice, yet academically they do not always receive the attention they deserve. By their nature they are often hidden and inaccessible, and only become an issue when they fail. From a conservation perspective, joinery concerns are often taken for granted; perceived as falling within the relatively mundane context of conventional cabinetmaking.

Yet, some might disagree; the fact that time and again we have to deal with unsuccessful repairs should be reason enough for due consideration. Since the structural makeup of a piece of furniture is ultimately most vital to its preservation, it therefore deserves the close scrutiny of the professional conservator. What are the principles of successful jointing? Is it possible to apply simple calculations to reveal the stresses a construction has to withstand and to predict its collapse? Also, is reversibility an appropriate principle where joints or structures are prone to failure? Do non-traditional approaches have a place in the preservation of artefacts or structures?

The construction conveys not only an objects makeup, but can also become a part of its design character. Some joints are clearly visible on the outside and they become a feature in their own right. Is there a typology of joints which tells us about the origin and age of the piece? Is there a hierarchy of joints, with those that are essential to the character of the piece, as well as those that have less importance? What treatments should we apply when joints start to `telegraph' through surface veneers as the wooden substrate deforms?

These concerns are the theme that promises to spark tantalizing discussions about the importance, evaluation, and practice of restoring joined wooden objects today. Please consider sharing a segment on this topic from your unique perspective as conservator, architect, builder, cabinetmaker, curator, engineer, other professional inspired by or charged with the care of our cultural artefacts.

Through, sliding or blind. The dovetail joint in furniture history
Clive Edwards, Professor of Design History, Loughborough University, United Kingdom

'Expect the unexpected'. Constructional details revealed during the conservation treatment of a commode by Fiedler
Jurgen Huber, Senior Furniture Conservator, The Wallace Collection, London, United Kingdom

'No progress without experiment' (Gerrit Rietveld, 1950). Joints in the work of Rietveld Marijke Kuper, art historian and Rietveld expert, the Netherlands

"More than decoration - the joining of Peder Moos 1924-1968
Bodil Stauning, Furniture Conservator, The Royal Danish Court, Copenhagen, Denmark

Restoring the joints of picture frames – maintaining function at the expense of aesthetics?
Claire Daly ACR, Conservator of frames and gilded furniture, painted and decorative surfaces, Belgrave Conservation and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, United Kingdom

Joints in medieval picture frames
Hubert Baija, Senior Conservator of Frames and Gilding, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the Netherlands

The conservation problems of painted furniture in Portugal of the 18th century
Daniela Coelho, doctoral grant researcher of the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), associated with the Portuguese Catholic University (UCP) and the Research Center for Science and Technology in Art (CITAR), Portugal

Stereo-radiography
Andrea Coerdt, Senior Conservator of Furniture, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Rehabilitation of the judges’ chairs in the supreme court of Canada
Alastair Fox, Furniture Conservator, Canadian Conservation Institute, Ottawa, Canada

Iskander Breebaart, Senior Conservator of Furniture, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Structural consolidation and reinforcement of broken furniture
Adrian Smith, Nigel Goldsmith, Furniture Conservators, Workshops of the Master of the Royal Household’s Department, United Kingdom

Structural characters of Piedmont's 18th-century cabinet making. Historical documents, restorations and new technologies
Stefania De Blasi (art historian), Carla Enrica Spantigati (scientific director), Massimo Ravera (chief furniture restorer), Marco Nervo (physicist), Thierry Radelet (multispectral analist) Centro Conservazione e Restauro “La Venaria Reale”, Turin, Italy

Preserving historic integrity while addressing structural concerns: three case studies F. Carey Howlett, Conservator of Furniture and Historic Interiors, F. Carey Howlett & Associates, Callao, USA

Registration and payment

The price for the two-day symposium is € 230. This includes coffee, tea and lunches as well as the proceedings, which will be sent to you upon publication. For students there is a reduced rate of € 195. Please be prepared to show your student card at the door. Upon registration you will receive information on the method of payment. The closing date for registration is 24 September.

For participation please fill out the registration form. Upon reception of payment, a confirmation will be sent via email.

Location

The symposium will take place in the Jordaan-neighbourhood, which is in the city centre of Amsterdam. The address is:

De Rode Hoed
Keizersgracht 102
Amsterdam

Masterclass

Prior to the symposium there will be a masterclass. For more information please go to The construction of flat decorated doors of Dutch seventeenth-century cabinets.

Mocht u ideeën of suggesties hebben voor het aankomende óf een toekomstig symposium, dan horen wij dat graag! mail@ebenist.org