Terracotta Bust Conservation
Through scanning and 3D-printing, we reconstructed the losses to this 18th century terracotta bust.
This terracotta bust of a child with marble and brass socle dates from around 1787, and was modelled by Jean-Antoine Houdon.
It had suffered significant losses and the missing pieces were not provided with the bust. In addition, there were several areas on the hair where a foreign material (possibly paint) was adhered to the surface of the terracotta.
We were commissioned to replicate these losses and reconstruct the bust which presented a challenge as the terracotta was fragile and easily discoloured by handling. We achieved this by:
- Scanning the bust in order to produce a 3D-printed plastic model
- Using the model as a surrogate to sculpt the replacement sections, the larger pieces all modelled in wax
- Tinting the reconstructed sections with earth pigments to match the colour of the terracotta
- Coating areas that would be in contact with the bust with a 5% solution of Paraloid B72 adhesive, to reduce the movement of moisture between the plaster and the terracotta
- Adhering the reconstructed sections to the original bust
- Filling any gaps accordingly and tinting with acrylic paints
- Retouching with restoration glaze to match the colour and patina of the original
- Adhering the reconstructed sections to the original bust
- Removing foreign material manually using a scalpel under magnification
In this way, the restoration could proceed with minimal handling and risk to the original object.