Ivory & Cloisonné

Elegant and Organic

Ivory

If you have an ivory collection, you know it is a natural substance that comes from animals. Because it is organic, it's very reactive to its environment—especially light.

Our conservators are experienced in caring for the delicate nature of ivory. They can remove old adhesives, clean and secure your pieces, and even create new pieces to repair breaks or missing parts. Our team is especially experienced with Netsuke.

An Ancient ArT

Cloisonné

Cloisonné is an ancient Chinese technique of laying down fine metal wire or strips into shapes. The spaces are filled with colored vitreous glass powders (enamels). The piece is then fired, ground smooth and polished. You may have a very old Cloisonné piece, like a vase or an urn. Or, you may have something newer, like a piece of jewelry or an ornament.

Damaged cloisonné usually occurs as a dent in the surface that radiates into cracks. Sometimes the glass enamel even falls out.

Our expert glass enamel artists perform nearly invisible repairs and restore your piece to its original beauty. The Wiebold team is especially experienced working on cloisonné.

We also offer these important suggestions for ivory and cloisonné owners.

All of the before and after images are of actual items that we have repaired, restored and/or conserved.