Rebirth of a Palace - Stirling Castle
…Ken Peterkin who has been responsible for the making of the carved furniture for the Palace Project, he has careful studied the rare, original rennaisance pieces on what it is based. ‘its interesting that they are not particularly well-designed and gave the impression that aspects of the work were afterthoughts,’ he says. He wonders if the makers worked from just a rough sketch and solved problems as they went along.
In any case, they were really only concerned with the parts of the work which would be seen’. This is understandable since the furniture was, first and foremost, for display. That is why seemingly ‘functional’ fittings, such as hinges, are so ornate and geometric, Ken explains.
After initial machining, most of the work was carried out by hand, as it would have been originally; And Ken emphasises the fascination of bringing together the range of skills to produce these complex pieces – carvers, gilders, painters, blacksmiths and others, who all need to work together.
But, Ken explains, these are not museum pieces, which have been used for centuries, scratched and damaged. ‘There are uncertainties about the finishes used in the mid-16th century’, he says. ‘But this furniture is presented as new’. James V did not furnish his stylish modern palace with antiques!…
