Hi Raphael:Raphael wrote:I bought this from Doug, one of the nicest members of this Forum. When it arrived here I decided to spruce it up, so it would fit in with the rest of the antiques that decorate our house. My wife and I believe that "originality" need not include chips, scrapes, fading, and other signs of wear and tear. That, of course is a matter for endless discussion among collectors, and to me, it's like brussels sprouts: some people love 'em, some hate 'em, and one side will never convince the other.
I gave strict instructions to my restoration shop not to strip the finish; a light wet sanding, repairs as necessary, and to try to make the outside finish comparable to the insides (which was not touched). They also applied new gold leaf and toned it down to an antique patina.
It's now back home and, in my opinion, looking damn good. Mack, my retstorer, is going to return next week to tone down the gold leaf on another XX that I have.
Raphael
I've never come across a VV-XX in person, and just have a quick question, based on something an old-time collector told me several decades ago (long before the internet and the wealth of information now available to collectors).
Was there any evidence that a protective top-coat of shellac or varnish had been applied to the gold leaf portions of the cabinet at the factory?
OrthoFan