Services
Mary Acton offers the highest quality work. - whether you are considering the restoration or conservation of valuable historical artefacts or simply want to restore an individual piece of sentimental value.
I provide astute consultancy advice on all aspects of care, conservation and restoration – including packing advice for safe shipping to my Dorset workshop. For most pieces (aside from large collections), estimates are wholly free of charge and I can also provide you with condition reports and treatment proposal plans.
Conservation
Conservation essentially involves preserving an object from further deterioration. This is achieved by stabilising its current condition and enhancing its aesthetic appearance. Sensitivity to maintenance of its historical significance is integral to this process.
Restoration
Restoration is a set of procedures used to enhance an object aesthetically, without compromising its integrity. This usually necessitates greater intervention than conservation and can involve complete reassembly and remodelling, often resulting in virtually invisible repair.
Ethos
Our ethos is to preserve and maintain our cultural heritage through the intervention of exceptionally high quality, sensitive, conservation and restoration of ceramic objects. Essential to this is the knowledge that although the aesthetic appearance of an object is very important, after treatment, there are many other considerations to be taken into account.
Invisible restoration is not always suitable or appropriate for many objects (archaeological artefacts in particular). Each piece will have different treatment requirements relating to their age, condition, composition, manufacture and historical significance. The conservator’s job is to deploy techniques, methods and materials that are sympathetic to these requirements and then explain the resulting outcome to the client. Having established this, the value of your object financially, culturally and aesthetically will be maximised.