Please provide us with the following information when submitting an inquiry, and someone from the Trefler’s team will help you determine the next steps.

Please describe your item(s) in as much detail as possible. Information such as dimensions, what materials the item is made of (i.e. wood, plaster, porcelain), and your item’s current condition are all very helpful for our experts to make an accurate estimate.

We suggest providing at least three .jpg images per item. These should include; one image of the entire object, and detailed views of the area(s) of damage and/or pieces. 

If you are submitting an inquiry for painting restoration, please provide an additional photograph of the back of the canvas.

Our team will review all inquiries and assess the best course of action to suit your needs.

We look forward to hearing from you.

 


PROJECTS

An antique Rocking Horse is restored

Restoring a Rocking Horse

Project Type

Restoration

About the Project

Department

Decorative Arts

Our client writes “This rocking horse was bought by my grandparents for my father and his two brothers in the early 1900s. They lived in Cleveland, Ohio, but the horse was made by the Whitney Reed Company in Massachusetts. My father inherited the horse from his parents, and it was then passed down to me. When I brought it into Trefler’s, the brace, saddle, mane, and paint all needed work after many years of use by young children. I’m so glad that it’s been brought back to its original condition.”

About the Restoration

The day that our client brought in the rocking horse, we knew that this would be a neat project. Right away, the client chose the colors with which to refresh the horse: Farrow and Ball colors – Preference Red No. 297 and Turret White No. 2. It was an elegant choice.

An outline of the work was formed, the client approved, and when its time came in the queue, the work commenced.

The horse was secured to the rocker by Bernard, the cracks on the horse were filled, but Sarah left enough irregularity so that the horse might maintain its integrity and character – Sarah used the existing ears, but improved their stability by backing them and patching together the original ears with linen; the goal was to preserve the original and create the missing pieces as closely as possible.

Laura painted the horse in the chosen colors, and then the final touches were in the offing:

We tried to procure a nice mane here in the US, but the result was not satisfactory. Ultimately The Rocking Horse Shop of England was best able to help, with real horse hair.

Before & After

learn more about our claims team

Restoration projects

  • An antique Rocking Horse is restored

    This antique carousel horse was brought to Trefler’s as part of a larger fire claim which included an incredible private collection of fine and decorative artworks. The capabilities of our full-service studio, coupled with the trained hands of our skilled restorers, allowed our team to address damage to the wide array of objects, antiques and artworks that were affected by this unanticipated and unfortunate event.

    Read On

  • Conservation, with the sea in mind

    This was painted in approximately 1900, by our client’s husband’s Swedish great grandfather. He was a ship captain, and was lost at sea in 1910.
    The painting had a dark layer of discolored varnish and soot obscuring the surface. There were some losses in the paint layer and scratches.
    The restoration process included a cleaning with a combination of solvent solutions. An isolating varnish of Paraloid B-67 with 2% Tinuvin 292 hindered-amine light stabilizer was brushed over the surface. Losses were filled with Flügger and inpainted with pigment ground in Laropal A81 aldehyde resin. A final coat of Paraloid B-67 with Tinuvin was applied.

    Read On

  • A Collection of Civil War badges is displayed

    This client’s Great-Great-Grandfather fought in the Civil War for the Indiana 44th Infantry regiment. After the war, he attended many of the GAR reunions, acquiring a badge at each one. After his death, his daughters (both of whom I knew as a child – one as an adult) created the display of badges that you have prepared the shadow box to house. One of his daughters, the Great-Great-Aunt I knew even as an adult, was an invalid and never married. Until her death in the late 1970s she received a Civil War pension as a dependent of a veteran – the princely sum of $11 a month!

    Read On

  • The New Bedford Whaling museum repairs its lamp

    The New Bedford Whaling Museum contacted us with a very special project. Their Pairpoint Mushroom electric lamp, made in the time somewhere between 1907-1929, was in pieces.

    Read On

  • An antique carousel horse is restored

    This antique carousel horse was brought to Trefler’s as part of a larger fire claim which included an incredible private collection of fine and decorative artworks. The capabilities of our full-service studio, coupled with the trained hands of our skilled restorers, allowed our team to address damage to the wide array of objects, antiques and artworks that were affected by this unanticipated and unfortunate event.

    Read On

  • Framing a Soviet-era shawl woven with family history

    This beautiful Russian shawl was brought into Trefler’s framing department with a story that spans three generations of women.

    Read On

  • A Sentimental Armoire Gets An Update

    This piece was incredibly sentimental to its owner, however its original finish was heavy and no longer suited its contemporary surroundings. With the ambition to give this armoire a new aesthetic, Trefler’s furniture department worked extensively with the client to create a custom finish that would re-imagine the piece of furniture by simply refinishing it.

    Read On

  • A Family’s Dollhouse is Restored For Future Generations

    This dollhouse was originally played with by Boston architect John Hubbard Sturgis, who would later come to design the Codman House in Lincoln, MA, and the personal residence of Isabella Stewart Gardner.

    Read On

  • Original Boston Garden Benches are Given a Custom Base

    This historic artifact was once part of the Boston Garden, and was later acquired by a private collector through a local fundraiser. With hopes of preserving the history of the benches, while also restoring their function, their new owner enlisted Trefler’s team to ensure these benches could be appreciated for years to come.

    Read On

  • An Asian Figurine is Put Back Together

    This antique Asian figurine came to Trefler’s in several pieces after taking a fall. Our Decorative Arts Department securely re-attached the figure’s head and shoe. Filling and sanding of the fractured areas was required in order to ensure a smooth surface texture. Finally, the affected areas were painted and color matched to the original glazing, restoring it to its former self.

    Read On