restoring a greek orthodox Kouvouklion

top dome section of the Kouvouklion, some of the beading is coming off

Detail of the canopy section, very interesting openwork carving

one of the two areas where an "alpha" symbol is missing and will be repaired by adding a new one 

in progress of replacing missing 

canopy middle section

new star and replaced carving in surrounding weave

mold being made of missing alpha symbol

Running a furniture design and manufacturing company is not all fun and games.  We were recently commissioned by the Greek Orthodox church here in downtown Baltimore to build two pieces of furniture for them, both for use in the main church area designated for services.  The church elders asked us if we would also be willing to restore an existing piece that the church uses for some of its rituals, a Kouvouklion.  It is an amazing piece of wood work, all intricately carved wood, composed of three pieces, a sort of canopied table, symbolizing a bed or resting place.  Over the years it had suffered some damages and losses to the delicate open work carving, which I agreed to restore for them.  As I like to say, no good deed goes unpunished, as it is a very time consuming and exacting job, which I will attempt to explain with words and pictures.  At this moment it is about half completed, and some of the pictures show the before damages, some are in progress.  One element of the design was completely missing:  the carving of the alpha symbol, for some reason the 2 areas of the apron where they were got damaged in the same place, and the alpha symbol had to be based on a sketch provided by one of the church elders, which I am replicating in 3 dimensions to reattach to the missing places.  Also a star and some of the complex woven banding around the central medallions is missing, and has to be replicated.