Museum Speelklok – The First Installation in a Series on Automata
I just returned from work placement in Holland’s famous mechanical music museum located in central Utrecht. The museum occupies a converted cathedral dating from the middle ages. In 1674 a fierce storm changed the architecture of the church forever, collapsing its single high arch. The outline of the original roof remains in traces on the … Read more
The Croll Testimonial: Acetone, patience and paperwork
I have spent much of the past week getting the Croll completely dismantled, assessing, labelling and photographing each component as I go. Six putti from the lower basin This might sound like a morning’s work but giving individual attention to a total of one hundred and ten pieces (not counting nuts) is a slow and methodical … Read more
Tomoyuki Uemori: Serpentine Toiletry Casket
This is a mid-19th century Serpentine Toiletry Casket with Boulle style marquetry. The box has engraved brass and red turtleshell inlay on what looks like a mother-of-pearl background. However as you can see, the surface has many cracks that are typical of early cellulose nitrate plastic. First I compared this plastic mother-of-pearl and real mother-of-pearl. Here … Read more
