When this object first arrived it was in a terrible state with numerous past repairs; one candlestick was missing, the right arm and head were attached to the main body using superglue, and a putty filler and thick layer of overpainting had been used to conceal the damage underneath. But, rather curiously, in an attempt to hold the pieces together someone had drilled metal rods through the body - one of these rods can be seen coming out of the broken candlestick in the before photo. Additionally, concealed under the thick putty filler a thick piece of wire had been wrapped around the neck to hold it onto the body.

 

The treatment for this object was extensive, however the finished result is certainly much better than the appearance before. The overpainting and putty filled were removed, and the superglue broken down to separate the different pieces. Where possible, some of the metal rods were removed but others were cut down flush with the surrounding material as fully removing them would only cause more damage. The new candlestick and bobeche were modeled and shaped to match the existing one before being reattached, and the wire around the neck was removed. 

 

The surface areas of loss, such as around the neck, and the new fills were then filled and retouched to match the original design.