Restoration
What endures deserves renewal
Restoration
A piece from the maison Charles is made to stand the test of time. Over the years, bronze acquires depth and develops warm-toned patinas, bearing the marks of time and of each hand that shaped it with patience. This is part of the nature of this remarkable material, and the result of a way of working that has always placed permanence at the heart of its craft. That same commitment is reflected in the maison’s ability to restore its oldest pieces faithfully.
The Same Savoir-Faire, the Same Standards
When a piece from the maison Charles returns to the workshops—after ten, fifty or a hundred years—it receives the same care as a new commission. It is dismantled, each component inspected, then repaired where necessary, repolished and repatinated: either in its original finish or…
When a piece from the maison Charles returns to the workshops—after ten, fifty or a hundred years—it receives the same care as a new commission. It is dismantled, each component inspected, then repaired where necessary, repolished and repatinated: either in its original finish or in a new shade chosen by its owner. Worn gilding and silvering are revived with a burnisher. Using an agate stone set in a wooden handle, the artisan patiently works across the surface, relief by relief.
The skills, tools and exacting standards of art bronzework that brought the piece into being are brought to bear once more in its restoration, allowing it to recover its original lustre.
To entrust a piece from the maison Charles to the workshops, make an appointment or discuss a restoration project, the maison Charles team is at your service.
The Archives of the maison Charles
Restoration is made possible by what the maison has preserved. In the archive rooms of the workshops, more than a thousand original moulds, sketches, technical drawings and master models have been kept across generations. Some date back to the maison’s earliest decades. Each…
Restoration is made possible by what the maison has preserved. In the archive rooms of the workshops, more than a thousand original moulds, sketches, technical drawings and master models have been kept across generations. Some date back to the maison’s earliest decades. Each records the precise dimensions, proportions and ornamental details of a creation from the maison Charles, ready to be consulted when a piece needs repairing, completing or matching.
A missing component can be recast from the mould used to make the original. A pair can be recreated from the same drawings. This heritage, a rare and patiently assembled record of the material past, allows a piece from the maison Charles to remain recognisably itself, decade after decade.
Collectible Pieces
Period pieces from the maison Charles are sought after by collectors and dealers around the world. Ananas, Corail, Roseaux, Fougère, Agave… can be found in antique dealers’ galleries, leading international auction houses and the most discerning design marketplaces, sometimes more…
Period pieces from the maison Charles are sought after by collectors and dealers around the world. Ananas, Corail, Roseaux, Fougère, Agave… can be found in antique dealers’ galleries, leading international auction houses and the most discerning design marketplaces, sometimes more than half a century after they were created.
Their continued presence in the world of collectible design is the clearest measure of what the maison creates: objects whose value, beauty and relevance endure from one generation to the next, gathering stories as their patinas develop.
Authenticated, cleaned and brought up to current standards by the maison Charles, each piece is restored in a way that safeguards its heritage value and the quality of its craftsmanship.
