We have been conserving/restoring historical keyboard instruments since 1996. During that period we have conserved/restored most types of keyboard stringed instruments, such as clavichords, spinets, harpsichords, fortepianos, pyramid pianos, table pianos, bureau pianos, etc. We conserved a large number of instruments for the National Museum (the Czech Museum of Music) for its exhibition „300 Years of the Piano“ held in 1999 under the auspices of UNESCO in 1999, and we have also conserved instruments comprehensively damaged in the disastrous floods of 2002, as well as other instruments of the Czech Museum of Music’s collection. We have also conserved instruments for the West Bohemian Monument Preservation Institute, the Academy of Performing Arts (HAMU), for several local muzeums and private individuals in the Czech Republic and abroad.
We have already conserved/restored more that 40 instruments.
In 2009 and 2010 we have been granted a licence for cultural heritage conservation, specialising in the conservation of keyboard string instruments from the Czech Ministry of Culture.
The filosophy of conservation
Every instrument is unique, has a different demage rate and requires individual approach and choice of technological processes. In case of conservation of historical instruments there is necessary to carefully consider the degree of intervention in an effort to preserve the instrument’s expressive value as much as possible while restoring its functionality and sound properties.
We carry out all conservation and restoration interventions in accordance with the conservator-restorer’s code of ethics.
Detailed photo documentation taken throughout the course of the work and a final conservation report are the obvious parts of conservation works.
During the restoration, we use both traditional original techniques and the most modern methods, mainly in the field of research – X-ray, 3D scan, microscopic stratigraphy and infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and we cooperate with a whole range of experts – conservators of textiles, paper, metal, paintings, etc.
We have been restoring historical keyboard instruments since 1996. During that period we have restored most types of keyboard stringed instruments, such as clavichords, spinets, harpsichords, fortepianos, pyramid pianos, table pianos, bureau pianos, etc. We restored a large number of instruments for the National Museum (the Czech Museum of Music) for its exhibition „300 Years of the Piano“ held in 1999 under the auspices of UNESCO in 1999, and we are also restoring instruments comprehensively damaged in the disastrous floods of 2002, as well as other instruments of the Czech Museum of Music’s collection.We have also restored instruments for the West Bohemian Monument Preservation Institute, the Academy of Performing Arts (HAMU) and for private individuals in the Czech Republic and abroad.
List of the restored instruments:
More instruments coming soon