Antique Restoration is often done in
preparation for sale, or by a collector upon acquiring a new piece. The main
goal of restoration is to "restore" the original appearance or functionality
of a piece.
Restoration can be as simple as light cleaning to remove disfiguring dirt or
grime, such as on the surface of a painting, or it may include near complete
rebuilding or replacement, as might be the case with old automobiles or
furniture.
There is a lot of difference between restoring and repairing. You may
achieve functionality with a repair, but restoring an item properly is an
art-form. Finishes may be stripped and redone, but it is essential that the
original patination is retained, if possible.
While some of these practices are frowned on by many museums, scholars, and
other experts (often expressed by the experts on Antique Road Show), for many
people there is little value in an antique that is unusable or not able to be
displayed.
On the other hand, an "over restored" item can actually take more away
from its value than if nothing has been done to the item at all.
Therefore, restoration should always be left to professionals who are
sensitive to all of the issues - insuring that a piece retains or increases its
value after restoration.
Conservation, in contrast, typically aims to preserve the remaining
material without necessarily being functional or looking new. There
are several criteria for what work is necessary and how far to take any work
performed.
Chiefly, is the object (book, painting, car, statue, etc.) actively
deteriorating? Slowing or stopping deterioration and eliminating the root cause
is the first task of the conservator. To this end, conservators, and antique
Restoration professionals are usually trained in the science of
materials and chemistry, as well as art history, archaeology, and other
disciplines related to their areas of expertise.