Restoring Chinoiserie Lacquer

This chinoiserie table has raised gesso work on it. The gold is laid over the gesso and then toned to match the original. All the white areas are being recreated. Gesso is a mixture of whiting and rabbit skin glue. It can be worked like a paint and then rubbed down to a very smooth surface. These techniques haven't changed since the first European furniture was made to copy the Japanese and Chinese lacquer. I can tell how old a piece is as the style changes over time, but technically the decorative techniques are always the same.