Torchère

Abstract: Two large, 2 m tall, cut and mold-cast crystal glass torcheres or candelabra at Shangri La, Honolulu, Hawaii, were completely dismantled for conservation in 2010. The torcheres were made by Baccarat and date to around 1907. They have been on display since acquisition in 1966, with only minimal surface cleaning, and in 2010 required piece-by-piece disassembly for cleaning and stabilization. The prolonged exposure of the torcheres to coastal salt air created a dichotomy of preservation issues, in that the glass was well protected and preserved, while the metalwork was aggressively corroded. After disassembly, all the glass pieces of the torcheres were individually cleaned, and all the metal fittings were cleaned, stabilized, and coated to protect them from the aggressive environment. As many of the metal fittings as possible were removed from the glass, so that the glass and metal could be treated separately, especially since the metal required chemical cleaning and stabilization. A regular maintena...