“Prima patina” is the term used by many Italian antiques dealers, primarily those located in the north-central regions of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio, to describe the finish on a period piece of furniture that is untouched (i.e., prior to any posterior restoration, superficial cleaning or waxing)...
As most of our clients already know, at “Mediterrania” we have always purchased all of the southern European antiques offered at our Scottsdale, AZ and Santa Fe, NM showrooms completely unrestored. In so doing, we obtain the most competitive prices possible and are able to ascertain what, if anything, has been done to the pieces over the course of their lives.
In addition, by sourcing completely "raw" pieces we are able to carry out any restoration needed at our workshop in Catalonia, Spain in strict accordance with our goal of taking the pieces back to their original, or near original, state. In essence, that is the true definition of "restoration". Finally, by buying unrestored pieces we limit the competition from fellow American dealers because not everyone is specifically trained to "look through the dirt", and not every antiques operation has the wherewithal to restore.
As a dealer, I like to watch the "Antiques Roadshow" on PBS, primarily because I enjoy pitting what knowledge I have gained over the years with the experts that appear on the show. However, there is one thing that really sticks in my craw about the "Roadshow": almost without fail the experts on the show will admonish people not to touch, clean or restore a piece if they wish to maintain its value. And generally speaking, that's sound advice. However, close to 20 years in the antiques business has taught me that "restoration" is a relative term.
For example, over the years I've found dozens of stunning 17th and 18th century decorative painted pieces in the northern Spanish regions of Old Castile, La Rioja, Aragon and Catalonia that were covered in the 19th or 20th century with oil base house paint. You see, in the latter half of the 18th century good decorative painting came to be regarded as "frivolous" and a "sin against God". Therefore in order to avoid problems with Mother Church, many owners of fine painted furniture simply opted to paint over the original decoration. Presto, change-o, problem solved!
According to the very narrow view taken by experts on the "Roadshow", in restoring a painted piece by stripping away later 19th century house paint to reveal the original period painting, we have "detracted" from its value. For obvious reasons, I strongly disagree with that stance, and believe that we are adding to the value of these wonderful painted antiques.
Below you will find a few "before" and "after" shots that clearly demonstrate what I mean by "restoration"...
Happy antiquing!
As most of our clients already know, at “Mediterrania” we have always purchased all of the southern European antiques offered at our Scottsdale, AZ and Santa Fe, NM showrooms completely unrestored. In so doing, we obtain the most competitive prices possible and are able to ascertain what, if anything, has been done to the pieces over the course of their lives.
In addition, by sourcing completely "raw" pieces we are able to carry out any restoration needed at our workshop in Catalonia, Spain in strict accordance with our goal of taking the pieces back to their original, or near original, state. In essence, that is the true definition of "restoration". Finally, by buying unrestored pieces we limit the competition from fellow American dealers because not everyone is specifically trained to "look through the dirt", and not every antiques operation has the wherewithal to restore.
As a dealer, I like to watch the "Antiques Roadshow" on PBS, primarily because I enjoy pitting what knowledge I have gained over the years with the experts that appear on the show. However, there is one thing that really sticks in my craw about the "Roadshow": almost without fail the experts on the show will admonish people not to touch, clean or restore a piece if they wish to maintain its value. And generally speaking, that's sound advice. However, close to 20 years in the antiques business has taught me that "restoration" is a relative term.
For example, over the years I've found dozens of stunning 17th and 18th century decorative painted pieces in the northern Spanish regions of Old Castile, La Rioja, Aragon and Catalonia that were covered in the 19th or 20th century with oil base house paint. You see, in the latter half of the 18th century good decorative painting came to be regarded as "frivolous" and a "sin against God". Therefore in order to avoid problems with Mother Church, many owners of fine painted furniture simply opted to paint over the original decoration. Presto, change-o, problem solved!
According to the very narrow view taken by experts on the "Roadshow", in restoring a painted piece by stripping away later 19th century house paint to reveal the original period painting, we have "detracted" from its value. For obvious reasons, I strongly disagree with that stance, and believe that we are adding to the value of these wonderful painted antiques.
Below you will find a few "before" and "after" shots that clearly demonstrate what I mean by "restoration"...
Happy antiquing!
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