WADDESDON MANOR BALCONIES

These five balconies at Waddesdon Manor were missing much of their repoussé cartouches depicting cherubs, torches and other decorative detail. They were removed to the studio where paint samples were taken and analysed to establish the original decorative scheme. The ironwork was then cleaned. The cartouches were modelled in wax using the remaining fragments as a starting point and following photographic records to replace those elements which no longer existed. The wax models were then cast in bronze. Missing repoussé decorative elements were remade and attached in the traditional manner. After assembly, the complete balcony elements were painted and leaf gilded.

The original fragments of the cartouches are now held safely in the property’s archive, and the balconies restored to a high level of finish appropriate for the environment of Waddesdon Manor.