Help needed with old carving

[Laura430430]

Hello!

i have a wood art carving that is probably 80 years old that has been passed down my family and I’ve been fortunate enough for it to land in my hands. It seems pretty dried out and I think it needs to be restored but I’m afraid of applying the wrong thing.

i can’t tell how the details on the eyes were done, but my guess is black paint and then gold paint was applied for the halos.

[Laura430430]

Also I don’t know that wood type. I only know it was hand carved in Spain.

[Merle Rice]

Hi Laura , I think you are going to get a lot of answers, so for starters here is mine . I think it looks Great the way it looks now . All I would do is Wipe it down with Soap and Water , don't soak it , just to get the Dirt off . Then I would apply several coats of Poly U , Satin . Put on as many coats as it takes to Seal it . Then a Lite coat of Wax . I think Painting it to add Color would be a Mistake . I guess it would be up to to you on the Look you are looking for . Merle

[joepaulbutler]

A good dusting with a dential brush, then I would use Watco Danish Oil, Natural. Leaving it as close to the original received condition as you, yet with some protection. A nice treasure for sure

[Laura430430]

Thank you both. I’m looking to keep it as close to the original as possible. I listed the black and gold paint because I want to make sure whatever I apply won’t harm them. I bought BLO but now I’m having second thoughts from what I’ve read here. Thanks so much for your help!

[Randy]

First I agree it’s aged look is very nice and wood no use paint. Just a light cleaning. Sealing options depends on the look you want. I think I would do some test on the back. Most oils will alter the color Some, a bit darker. A clear poly in satin or matte would give a shine to the wood but color change would be minimal.

[Brian T]

It's old as you say. I would like it to stay looking old without needing to say so.
I would do nothing except a light dry brushing to lift some dust.
I would be afraid it would turn out looking too shiny and modern plastic.

[Nebraska]

Well not like you haven’t had enough suggestions. I agree with with a quick wipe with a damp cloth to get the loose dust. If it were mine I would use oil based polyurethane satin the oil in this product really brings out the grain and would darken it slightly. However. Since you said you want to maintain the appearance and protect I would recommend water based polyurethane satin as it will change the appearance considerably less if at all. Coat lightly and blot away excess with a clean rag. Seal both sides. MTCW. Good luck.

[sappy]

I hope a soft brush is used to remove dirt before anything else is done, a damp cloth might leave a smudge, that would be regrettable. Not knowing what type of paint was used, I would be hesitant to use any oil product that might cause it to release. I agree with Brian, sometimes nothing is better.

[Butch_Speer]

If it were mine, I would use the watco. Poly to me, makes a carving look plastic. JMO

[fiddlesticks]

I think I would clean it as others have suggested and then give it a very light coat of renaissance wax. If stored in a temperature controlled environment the thing really isn't going to get dried out. It will adjust to the ambient humidity level. Forget about "nourishing" the wood, or feeding the wood. Wood is a dead material. The reason for the wax is to make it possible to lightly dust it in the future.

[Laura430430]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I used a brush and then a damp cloth to dust and clean it and that actually helped tremendously. It had been looking dull but now is brighter now that the dust is cleared out of all its pores. I’m going to experiment with a few of your suggestions on some wood scraps and see if I want to add anything extra. Thank you again!

[Richard Yates]

Hi Laura. Some great advice given and you could sure use anyone of those to do the trick. But it looks like your carving already has a very soft sheen to it which suggests a wax has been used on it originally. It does have a very nice look to it now personally I’d try a wax again on it as it probably wouldn’t alter the look of the finish that much as to what it is now..