Istrian Fountain—Private

We treated an Istrian stone renaissance fountain at the Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey. The fountain was installed with other classical-themed works throughout the Italianate gardens before the property’s conversion to a school.

The fountain had accumulated significant soiling and biological growth. Previous repairs and plumbing alterations had failed structurally and aesthetically. Inappropriate repair materials were endemic. Our conservators disassembled the fountain assembly before cleaning was performed to remove soiling and biological growth. Inappropriate repair materials were removed and the plumbing was reconfigured. The fountain was reassembled on a new mortar bed. Areas of material loss were reconstructed with a compatible, color-matched restoration mortar. Reconstructed areas were textured to be compatible with surrounding original material.

Our conservators also assessed two marble busts and lightly cleaned four Vincenza stone sculptures previously treated by us. One of the busts was deemed a hazard and removed from the site for further assessment.