5 TREATMENT OF LEVELS II–IV

Levels II–IV were in much better condition structurally than Level I and did not need to be strengthened. On Level II, the bullfrogs were loose and were resoldered. On Level III, the supports for two decorative sections had been torn off before shipment to the United States and had to be soldered back on. Since the removable decorations they supported weighed thirty-five to thirty-eight pounds, special care was used in soldering and reinforcing the supports. On these removable decorations three small missing sections were carved in wax at four-fifths original size (to demonstrate that they were part of the restoration and not original) and cast in an alloy of copper, silver and a minute amount of gold, and soldered into place. This alloy was selected because I believed that it would accept patination most successfully.