Accademia Riaci
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Reporter
R.T.

Country: Japan
Course: Furniture Restoration
Program: Summer Course
Period: Aug. 25, 2025 – Oct. 17, 2025

I wanted to learn furniture restoration techniques in Italy, so I participated in a summer course.

イタリアで家具の修復技術を学んでみたいと思い、サマーコースに参加しました。

Oct. 02, 2025 | Posted in Reports, Woodworking , | Tags:, Reporter: R.T. | Course: Woodworking

Furniture Restoration Summer Course (#1) – R.T.

Classes are held in the workshop of a master craftsman. On the first day, we created an inlay piece using three types of veneer. We secured the wood, cut along a flower sketch with a coping saw, shaded the cut petals, and fitted the pieces together. When using the coping saw, it was crucial to keep the blade vertical and make small, precise movements when changing direction, rather than forcing it.

授業は職人の先生の工房の中で行われます。初日は3種類の化粧板を使った象嵌を製作しました。木材に固定し、花のスケッチに沿って糸鋸で切り、切った花びらに陰影をつけ、パーツをはめ込む作業を行なった。糸鋸を使うときは、刃を垂直に保つことと、無理に動かさず方向転換時に細かく動かすこと意識する必要がありました。
Furniture Restoration blog
Furniture Restoration blog
On the second day, we glued the previous day’s inlay pieces together using ox glue. We also created complex patterned inlays, similar to those used in restoring 1700s-1800s furniture. The teacher explained that the ox glue method is traditional Italian, requiring time-consuming steps like melting the glue in a double boiler before use.

2日目は、前日の象嵌を牛の膠で接着する作業を行いました。さらに実際に1700~1800年代の家具の修復で使う複雑な模様の象嵌を作りました。牛の膠を使った接着方法は、イタリアの伝統的なもので、使用するまでに膠を湯煎で溶かすなど、時間がかかると先生はおっしゃっていた。

The following day, we removed the protective covering and newspaper used to secure the pieces after gluing. After sanding the finished pieces, we glued them onto separate thicker pieces of wood. Carefully peeling off the protective covering without damaging the veneer was quite difficult. Additionally, pressing out excess glue and ensuring a tight bond when gluing the pieces to the wood was also challenging.

翌日は接着後の作品から固定するために使っていた養生と新聞紙を除去し、ヤスリで仕上げた後、別の厚い木材に接着しました。養生を剥がす際に化粧板を傷つけないようにすることがかなり難しかったです。また木材に接着するときに、余分な膠を押し出し密着させることも難しかったです。
Furniture Restoration blog
Furniture Restoration blog
In the next class, we followed the same process as before for the floral inlay, but this time for a complex patterned inlay. We also performed surface treatment on the floral inlay, trimmed the veneer into a rectangle, and framed it with a wooden border. During surface treatment, it was very difficult to properly adjust the moisture level of the sponge to remove the glue, and to precisely match the size of the veneer for the wooden frame.

その次の授業では、複雑な模様の象嵌について、これまで花の象嵌と同じ工程を行いました。また、花の象嵌は表面処理を行い、化粧板を長方形に整え、木枠で囲む作業を行いました。表面処理の際、スポンジの水分量を適切調節して膠を落とすこと、木枠に使う化粧板のサイズを正確に合わせることがとても難しかったです。
Furniture Restoration blog
Furniture Restoration blog
For our weekend trip, we visited Siena. Overwhelmed by its traditional streetscape and history, I became excited thinking about all the other historic towns Italy must hold beyond Siena.

週末の小旅行にはシエナに行きました。伝統的な街並みとその歴史に圧倒され、イタリアには歴史ある街がシエナの他にたくさんあると思うと、これからが楽しみになりました。
Furniture Restoration blog
Furniture Restoration blog

OTHER REPORT

Furniture Restoration Summer Course (#2) – R.T.

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Furniture Restoration Summer Course (#1) – R.T.

Classes are held in the workshop of a master craftsm…
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