Repairing and Cleaning a Set of Four Marble Statues
Four marble statues underwent meticulous repairs to replace missing elements, followed by a thorough chemical cleaning to restore their original appearance and enhance their presentation.
In Detail
Heritage Restoration recently received a commission from a church in Indiana to restore four marble statues, each exhibiting various forms of damage and wear. Among the statues were a Pietà with a darkened finish requiring careful cleaning, a statue of the Risen Jesus with a missing hand and broken fingers, a statue of Mary of the Pierced Heart with damaged fingers, and a statue of St. Joseph holding the Child Jesus, which had damage to the bouquet of lilies.
The restoration process was meticulously tailored for each piece. The Pietà was cleaned using an advanced laser technique to remove the initial layer of patina, followed by a chemical scrub that revealed the pristine marble beneath. For the Risen Jesus statue, missing and broken fingers were recreated through detailed casting and then carefully attached to restore the original form. Similarly, restoration casting was employed to reconstruct the damaged bouquet of lilies on the St. Joseph statue, while Mary’s statue had her missing fingers meticulously recreated.
Upon completion of these specialized restorations, the statues were returned to their home church in Louisiana. The revitalized sculptures now stand as renewed symbols of faith and artistry, reflecting both Heritage Restoration’s craftsmanship and dedication to preserving sacred heritage.
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