Adrian, can’t help with the age or any other specifics but the proper clear coat would be shellac. Hopefully they did not sand the original surface before going with that ugly Chaulk finish. That will make removal a dam sight harder.

Hi Adrian,

Judging by the dragon and other motifs I would submit that your desk dates from late Qing period.

There should be no signs of nails etc for it too be from said period.

As to value would depend on age and species of wood.

I purchased a couple of years ago a dragon display table dating from late Qing period that I will post for you a little later, once I can upload from desktop.

Should clean up nicely. Not too sure about applying a clear coat though?

In its original state without coating or the current paint should command a decent price depending on other factors.

Mark

Ron, Mark,

Thank you very much for your comments, I appreciate it a lot. Shellac seems to me an interesting idea. I didn't consider using a varnish at all (seems a bit too harsh for this funny small piece), the other option is oil. I must admit I am a bit worried how the stripping of this blue atrocity will affect the wood. I don't want to do it mechanically (don't want to end up polishing scratch marks) and just use a chemical stripper. I will test it first in less visible spot. 

Many thanks for your all your advice.

Kind regards,

Adrian

Tried to upload picture from file however for one reason or another it won't upload. I posted said table about a year ago on this site.

I have had a chance to have a better look at your table on a much larger screen. I  humbly re-submit a later period, perhaps Republic period. Purely based  on the quality of the carvings etc.

If you can revisit my old posts you will be able too see the difference in carving style and quality.

Should still clean up well.

Mark

Hi there Adrian,

yes, the challenge here is to remove the paint whilst, hopefully, retaining any

original finish and patina that might be underneath.

I agree that a chemical stripper would be the best 
option, sanding, heat gun etc would be too abrasive.
 Very vine wire wool may help with any tough spots but it 
could also drive the paint deeper into the grain if 
rubbed too hard.

I think most restorers accept that they will lose some
or all of the original finish, that’s why a new finish
will probably be needed.

I think Ron is correct, a shellac would be the most
appropriate finishing product.

Nic

Posted by: imperialfinegems

Tried to upload picture from file however for one reason or another it won't upload. I posted said table about a year ago on this site.

I have had a chance to have a better look at your table on a much larger screen. I  humbly re-submit a later period, perhaps Republic period. Purely based  on the quality of the carvings etc.

If you can revisit my old posts you will be able too see the difference in carving style and quality.

Should still clean up well.

Mark

 

 

Hi Mark,

Many thanks for looking into this. I am not so sure about Republic Period. I think is late 19th C. and the carvings actually are typical for that age, also the condition of the wood tells a lot - it's not painted underneath and I must say it look exactly like 100+ years old wood. But that's my humble opinion, I might be wrong.
I wish I could find that items you are mentioning. From yesterday I am not able to upload any photos on chrome so I had to switch to firefox whenever I want to attach some pictures, maybe the same case of some faulty browser in your case as well?

Please take a look at this link, almost identical style of carvings, and its dated 1880:
https://www.loveantiques.com/antique-furniture/oriental-furniture/19th-century-chinese-hardwood-folding-travelling-desk-table-c1880-42539

Kind regards,

Adrian

Posted by: NicDan

Hi there Adrian,

yes, the challenge here is to remove the paint whilst, hopefully, retaining any

original finish and patina that might be underneath.

I agree that a chemical stripper would be the best 
option, sanding, heat gun etc would be too abrasive.
 Very vine wire wool may help with any tough spots but it 
could also drive the paint deeper into the grain if 
rubbed too hard.

I think most restorers accept that they will lose some
or all of the original finish, that’s why a new finish
will probably be needed.

I think Ron is correct, a shellac would be the most
appropriate finishing product.

Nic

Nic,

Thank you very much for your advice, I absolutely agree. I am worried I will end up with a shiny finish that will ruin the whole effort with a final look of a brand new copy 🙂 however this blueish coat makes me sick whenever I look at it and I can't leave it like that, so this weekend I will go for it! Will send some after photos for sure.

All the best,

Adrian

It shouldn’t lose all character if you go gently. Dip-stripping and sanding tend to be the worst methods for retaining patina. Even if a lot is lost, the new shellac coat will shine but it will also bring out the depth and tones of the wood.

As regards the desk in the link, whilst there are similar themes, do you not think the desk in the link exhibits a finer degree and quality? It’s doubly harder to gauge because the paint effect on yours makes it look even more rustic.

Maybe the actual quality will be easier to gauge when the paint is removed. I would photograph it at different stages of the restoration as a record. There may be different clues that are apparent before it is finished with shellac?

Good luck! Wear a mask and goggles however you decide to strip the paint!

Nic

Hi Nic,

It's absolutely great to have this opportunity of hearing some good advice, I love this forum! Regarding the comparison of those two items I would say that it's just the first impression and mostly due to the poor quality of my photos - anything before 2pm when I start my work is a rush for me, so I just took a quick snaps of my desk. However on closer inspection you could find a bit more detail on mine (pattern of snake's skin) and less on the other one. Also the style of decorations is almost identical in my opinion. The only difference I can see is that mine has less ornaments and their scale is a bit different. I could spent some time and select some of the symbols for example that are exactly the same on both items. The other one has obviously much more decorative side panels and that's what gives this impression we are looking at different quality. Also the wood itself looks older than Republic Period, I could agree to something closer to 1900 but not any later then that. In my opinion we are looking here at Guangxu style of decorations, same patterns, same style you can find on porcelain from that period and then it changes in Republic. But, as always, I could be completely wrong 🙂
I am slightly tempted to document the whole renovation process, item is quite common, it's nothing spectacular and not really expensive. It's gonna be fun 🙂

Thanks again for your time and attention, appreciate it a lot.

Adrian

• Dear Adrian,  I like your table desk very much. You have a nice challenge there. A good quality jell paint stripper should remove that paint easily. It looks like a water based paint to me if you are lucky the paint might come off with a wire brush rubbed quite gently, I use a brass wire brush as it is softer than the normal steel type.  I think the hardest part is going to be the carpentry or cabinet work it looks to me in its past some ham handed work has been done. It is interesting with all those coins as decoration if it is of the folding variety with a draw it might be an overseers table used to pay workers then folded up and moved to the next location to do the same again. It looks like it has simulated bamboo carving around the top and to the front and side panels, it might be those coins are a later addition. As far as finish is concerned and I am assuming it is made from a tropical hardwood I would use Linseed oil mixed with turpentine and bee's wax  old fashioned I know. That hard wood is going to be very hungry and it is going to drink in gallons of whatever finish you decide to use. Good luck with it look forward to seeing your progress really hope  there is no builders bog under that paint. 
• Cheers
• Michael 

Hi Adrian,

The link I was searching is on another thread under share my favourite listed under Qing display table. I have uploaded it for you to see.

Had a look at the site you posted and they do look similar. So late Qing period?

I hope it is hong mu or better.

Mark

Hi Adrian,

it will be great to see it finished! It’s entirely possible that it’s late Qing. 

As regards the finish, Brett is correct that the wood will need ‘feeding’. As regards wax vs shellac, I too prefer a waxed finish. The disadvantage to that is that it will need several coats to bring out the best. It will also need other coats periodically over the years to build up a beautiful gloss. With shellac, once the final coat is applied, that’s it. Done. 

If you go the wax route, don’t scrimp on quality. Gilboy’s is excellent as is Renaissance. A small tin should be enough for many coats. 

Nic