Caring for Napoleon III Boulle furniture

Boulle furniture pieces are small works of art to be treated with respect… Even if they are not necessarily more fragile than others, they nevertheless require a few precautions to avoid a visit to the cabinetmaker…

Ebonized furniture and bronzes:

These are the least fragile pieces of the Napoleon III period. The simplest may carry numerous bronzes, but often only brass-stringing marquetry. A single rule: do not place them right against a radiator, because with the heat the brass expands, and some of the stringing can lift out of its channel.

Tortoiseshell furniture:

Brass and tortoiseshell marquetry is said to be “contradictory”. Indeed, the brass expands while the tortoiseshell swells or shrinks depending on the temperature… It is therefore imperative never to position these pieces too close to a heat source (radiator, convector heater, fireplace), and also to avoid temperature swings in an unsuitable spot (an entrance hall with strong draughts, for example). Also avoid cleaning with cloths, which can sometimes catch a slightly raised piece of marquetry and pull it out of its seating. A feather duster seems the ideal implement for removing dust from this type of furniture. Remember, too, not to place them directly under a source of intense light (skylight, conservatory), which can, over time, cause the varnish to whiten and the tortoiseshell to become less red with age.

The bronzes:

Absolutely avoid products of the “Mirror” type or equivalent. These products cause rapid re-oxidation and, in the long run, leave white marks as they dry, which you will find very hard to remove. Bear in mind that in order to restore the bronzes, we take them off the piece, and we therefore have access to areas that you will not be able to clean while leaving the bronzes on the furniture. If you do remove the bronzes, take care not to lever just anywhere with a screwdriver or similar object, which will mark the surrounding veneers. Every bronze has an “entry point” that allows a thin tool to be slipped underneath for easy removal. You can restore their shine with a lemon-juice-based solution, or brush them gently with the finest steel wool, so as not to remove the gilding.

The marbles:

You can use commercially available products to clean and polish your marble; they are generally quite effective. We recommend the “marble polisher” sold at Leroy Merlin, to be mixed with water and applied with fine steel wool; the result is excellent. To fill certain chips, a marble powder with hardener can be used.

In all cases:

Avoid cleaning marquetry yourself with commercial shining products; this leaves an unsightly film and oxidizes again quickly. If you do, apply an anti-oxidant afterwards: the brass could turn pinkish and take on a coppery appearance if you fail to do so.

Avoid attempting to re-glue marquetry or stringing yourself. The glues used by professionals are special (bone glue, nerve glue, fish glue), and any other glue would only make a future restoration more complicated and more costly. It is better to do nothing, to keep the detached piece and to call in a professional. If you do have a suitable glue, it is imperative to remove the existing glue and to clean out the channel so that the stringing can be reinserted perfectly.

In any event, keep firmly in mind that these pieces are among the most difficult to restore, and that only a professional will be able to bring a piece in poor condition back to life. We answer all your requests or questions about the care of this type of furniture. A Boulle piece is a delicate piece of furniture, a true “investment”; never forget to grant it the respect it deserves from the height of its 150 years…