Conservation and Restoration of Clear Coatings on Furniture and ...

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commercial level, servicing outside clients from the Royal Household on a commercial basis. Much <strong>of</strong> the major
interior conservation <strong>and</strong> restoration work around the palace is contracted to the private sector.
d) Tikkurila <strong>Coatings</strong>, Industrial paint manufacturer, Vantaa, Finl<strong>and</strong>
Tikkurila was founded in 1862 <strong>and</strong> is not only Finl<strong>and</strong>'s leading paint manufacturer but also one <strong>of</strong> the largest in
Europe, with customers all over the world. Alcro-Beckers <strong>and</strong> Tikkurila are part <strong>of</strong> the Kemira group. The Kemira
group is a chemical industry group with production in over thirty countries. Tikkurila has had a long association with
local furniture designers/manufacturers <strong>and</strong> no doubt part <strong>of</strong> their success was due to the popularity <strong>of</strong> Sc<strong>and</strong>inavian
furniture throughout the late 20th Century. Tikkurila have a unique archive <strong>and</strong> museum on paint <strong>and</strong> varnish
production, an fantastic resource when identifying finishes from a particular period.
Sc<strong>and</strong>inavian Environmental <strong>and</strong> Occupational Health <strong>and</strong> Safety (OH <strong>and</strong> S) legislation has been advanced <strong>of</strong> most
western countries for several decades. Due to tighter restrictions paint <strong>and</strong> chemical companies have had to be
innovative in developing their products to be compliant <strong>and</strong> thus today have an edge <strong>and</strong> are recognised as world
leaders in producing safe <strong>and</strong> environmentally friendly paints <strong>and</strong> finishes.
e) Evtek University, Furniture <strong>Conservation</strong> Department, Vantaa, Finl<strong>and</strong>
The Department <strong>of</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong> Studies is the only higher education programme in Finl<strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong>fering studies in
conservation.
Programmes in conservation are <strong>of</strong>fered in;
■ <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>of</strong> easel paintings
■ Paintings on wood, including polychrome sculpture
■ <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>of</strong> paper <strong>and</strong> paper materials
■ <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>of</strong> textiles
■ <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>of</strong> furniture
■ <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>of</strong> cultural historic objects, including glass, ceramics, stone,
wood, leather, metal, archaeological finds <strong>and</strong> ethnographical materials
■ <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>of</strong> cultural historic interiors
Interestingly the intake <strong>of</strong> students for any one discipline is limited to every four years. The students studying their
medium are the only students throughout the duration <strong>of</strong> their degree, Not only does this ensure in-depth training, it
prevents a glut <strong>of</strong> conservators who might other-wise flood the market in such specialised fields. The students I met
were just starting their second year <strong>and</strong> numbered around a dozen. They were all female which is a trend I have
noticed internationally. By far, the majority <strong>of</strong> students in Europe <strong>and</strong> those I met in America have been female. The
university does not require students to have previous woodworking experience as do most universities. The