Restoration of London Oratory's Sacrament House

Ecclesiastical objects are some of the most rewarding for restorers to work on. Most are still in use, meaning that the work carried out not only prolongs their use, but also becomes an important part of the object’s history. So says Spencer Cane, founder and principal of Cane and Davis, a gilding and restoration company based in central London.

Cane and Davis specialises in the conservation and restoration of gilded surfaces and painted objects, and the replacement of both carved and composition ornament.

He added: “After 15 years experience I am still fascinated by the history which one can unlock when conserving gilded objects.” A case in point was the Sacrament House of the London Oratory, a Catholic lay community on Brompton Road, which Spencer restored and regilded.

At first glance the damage appeared to be the result of years of wear and tear. However, on closer inspection it became clear that the damage was far more extensive. The entire object was covered in a thick layer of bronze paint, which had been added at some point to disguise missing sections of carving and chips to the surface of the object.

Several of the more delicate areas of woodwork were broken at the joints and there were visible signs of woodworm damage, which is common in objects of that age. Once the bronze paint had been removed, it became clear that much of the gesso – the plaster surface that supports the decoration – was unstable, possibly due to damp.

Spencer takes up the story: “The first task was to repair all the broken joints to the structure of the object and replace all the areas of missing carving.

We then set about the painstaking task of replacing the chipped and unstable areas of gesso and blending them in with the original surface. Once this was done, we re-gilded the surface and burnished the raised decoration, with the use of a polished agate stone, to highlight the carved embellishments.”

One of the most demanding aspects of working on ecclesiastical objects is that many of them are required on a specific date for a particular service. The London Oratory Sacrament House was no different as it was required for the Easter celebrations.

Said Spencer: “Working to tight deadlines is something that we are well accustomed to, and we pride ourselves on delivering a first-class service to our clients time and again.” The before and after images above bear testament to the quality of the service provided.

For further information call Spencer Cane on 07956 124796.