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Illions Chariot Side
An Illions chariot side, covered with close to 15 layers of park paint, came into the studio. So thick were all the layers of park paint that there was little discernable detail in many parts of the carving.
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After it was stripped, beautiful, sharp chisel marks were revealed. The thick layers of park paint had actually protected the wood from any wear, and the delicate nature of the carving was astounding!
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The wood was restored by John Hughes, and the chariot side was then primed with oil-based primer. Here is the lion head after it is has been leafed with aluminum leaf.
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Here is the same lion’s head with transparent glazes on the aluminum leaf.
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Detail of the 23 karat gold leafed wing, with a reddish glaze used to pick out the layers of feathers.
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A detail of the delicate carving brought out with different glazes.
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The finished chariot side. One of Illions’ finest!
