Prékopa Ágnes (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 31. (Budapest, 2017)
Veronika SZILÁGYI: Rebirth of the Gundel Centrepiece: Methodological Experiments in the Restoration of Enamelled Metalwork
13. Filling the gaps with enamel powder mixed with Paraloid B72. Photo by Gábor Juhász 2. The second method was used in places where the missing enamel was not wide or deep enough, or had a surface that was too large and curved, and therefore prevented samples from being taken. Fine enamel powder mixed with 30% Paraloid B72 (acrylic resin) was applied to these surfaces. After drying, the supplement could be aligned by hand to the surface. I used this method mainly for the shell decorations, on which the missing areas were not overly noticeable. (Fig. 13) It can be assumed that the flexible supplements will protect the metal parts and the enamelling from further damage. In a few additional instances— such as the eight-branched, enamelled leaf motifs on the filigree decorations or the six-petalled flowers—the surfaces proved too small for samples to be taken. Either the space was too narrow, or the missing part was too thin, or the surface was too convex and the enamel supplement broke when it was removed from its mould, or it could not be fired properly. In such instances, this second method was applied. Stabilisation of the Gundel Centrepiece Everything that was glued—from the enamel supplements to the beaded wire filigree—used a 30% solution of Paraloid B72 in acetone. The beaded wire filigree had to be weighed down until the glue set, which proved to be rather effective, for the wire remained in place despite the internal tension. Fixing the rim decoration proved particularly problematic. Seven of the screws used to hold it in place were partly or completely missing, and I made new ones from 930 ppt silver, modelling them on the original screws. When they were all replaced, the rim decoration became fully stabilised. Protecting and replacing gilded and painted surfaces Two of the gilded support columns holding the spherical decorations of the upper section had cracks and crevices from earlier repairs made using soft soldering—these I filled in with a solution of 30% Paraloid B72 in acetone. The filling material and the area around it was gilded using gold leaf. A solution of Mixtion in alcohol was applied to the dried adhesive and to the soft120
