I wonder if he could have mixed the tiny pieces into the fill-in material, so at least everything goes back into the piece? Otherwise he returns it with a little sack of dust.
Having worked on archaeological sites, I can say that nothing compares to the satisfaction when two pottery shards come together in that incontrovertible perfect fit...!
I currently live in Marseille, Southern France. I made a habit of going to the Beach after bringing the kids to Ecole Maternelle once or twice a week and collect coloured pottery shards, which are quite plentiful there. Never I find some of the same piece, never. But over two days, I found two connecting pieces of the same dish a few dozen metres apart. Now I have no hopes over ever winning the lottery, though.
as an archaeologist, i love seeing an art conservator’s approach to vesselization. it is my favorite activity in the lab. I am extremely jealous, however, that there is a 100% complete piece at the end. if only it was like this with excavated assemblages!
My fingers are covered with dry glue today after gluing together 4 dinosaur bones as a volunteer at the Natural History museum. Fun watching your gluing adventure
First pass: "That's too dark/too bright." Ten seconds later after a color with an almost imperceptible change in shade is applied with a little dibble-dabble motion: "WHERE IS IT?!"
"This is a technique that is used by..... *long pause* *mouse click* paleontologists and archeologists..." THE WAY I CACKLED @ 9:30 AT THE SILENCE THEN JUST A MOUSE CLICK I-
I'm watching this, envisioning what made that beautiful bowl swan-dive from the top of that bookcase, and the following came to mind: "If the world were actually flat, cats would have pushed everything over the edge by now."
this is why you keep a bag of sand inside vases, bowls, pitchers/jugs and any other type of vessel you don't want tipping easily. also not keeping them at the tippy top of the shelf is important.
Based on the tether comment I wondered if it was an earthquake. Our cat never knocked anything over (might be because she wasn't allowed on shelves, only the cat tree) but we still used a special putty to secure everything from glasses to picture frames to the shelf when we lived in Northern Nevada because we'd get quakes several times a year, or even several times a month! I wondered what the obviously-added, but very small lip on the front of the all the kitchen cabinets was for when we first moved in. I soon figured out it was to keep dishes from "walking" forward enough to push the doors open.
@@mwater_moon2865 what a clever idea! I hope we upgrade building codes around the nation to better withstand the natural disasters of that area. We so need this!
This vase was created by the Italian ceramicist Aldo Londi (1911-2003), renowned for his mid-century designs. These pieces can fetch up to $10,000 at auction.
I'm glad I scrolled through the comments. Thanks for suppkying information about this particular work of art. It looked quite beautful. The blue/greens reminded me of the colors of the Caribbean.
There must have been a step where he examined his work with the type of light under which it would be displayed, and made final color corrections. Excellent craftsmanship!
I can second that. I don't think it's possible to convey just how difficult it is. At least not to any one who has no experience in attempting it. It's kind of infuriating to watch. I mean amazing. Well, no, infuriating.
I had a good family friend growing up who attempted to be a pottery and ceramic artist when he was young, but fell into restoration. He ended up making a career of it. He worked on national treasures, artist masterpieces, and archeologically important pieces. He was the kind of guy who you went to after others said it was impossible. One of my favorite experiences as a child was going to his studio, low lit, with his workbench lit with his work lights, and on his black velvet lined work bench as a set of fine china. Pieces large as a plate, down to a pin head. All kind up by size, and color. All in various states. Turns out it was one of the founding father's China that had been destroyed during the war of 1812, that had been hidden and buried along with other items. Then forgotten to be buried and crushed. I saw his work in the Smithsonian National History Museum after he had died many years later. It was the same piece. I mentioned to one of the docents that I knew who had restored it when he asked me to back away. And that he was a close family friend. He went and grabbed one of the staff to introduce me. They were so gracious, asked me questions, and to detailed notes. He said, pottery restoration is a mix of artistry, chemistry, and engineering... And all insanity. On non -historical pieces you could do what you did here. Go down to the smallest pieces that made sense. But on historically or archaeologically important pieces, you had to attempt to account for everything.
I think one of the attractive features of this channel is being able to watch Julian in the battle against entropy. Every time he puts something right that was wrong. Like a police sitcom where they always get their guy, you know that at the end of the video there is always a satisfying outcome.
I have a little figurine that a boy gave me in 2nd grade before we had to move away. My brother broke it three times because he knew it was one of my most treasured possessions. I still have the pieces, though it’s been over 40 years. It’s just a little mass-produced Hallmark figurine, but maybe I’ll try to repair it one more time, with this video as inspiration. :)
@@chloeuntrau4588 I love it as well though this does show an impressive amount of dedication and skill. After all if the owner wants it that way, they get it that way.
@@chloeuntrau4588 they're different approaches to restoration, and both have their advantage and place. Even in Japan, restorations will use one or the other depending on context and requirements (look up Mayuyama Koji for a famous non-kintsugi conservator-restorer).
One of my favorite youtube videos was a series where a museum fixes a glass vase (including casting missing pieces). It's fascinating to see broken things put back together!
@@HalcyonAcorn It's the British Museum 9-parts series on conserving a roman glass urn, "Conservation of a Romano-British urn". Episode 7 and 8 are about the missing pieces casting
This is how I feel when I'm down in my little workshop closet, wearing readers, CA glue in hand, putting my 6 year old's toy back together or reassembling the ceramic magnet that was launched from the fridge door. I mean, it's exactly the same, just like when I yell at a quarterback for not throwing a pass that I would've (in Madden). Great work as always.
Hi. I have a degree in archaeological sciences. Now I have a job in a totally different field, but this video made me cry with nostalgia. Finding small pieces of pottery and putting them back togheter was so beautiful and satisfying. Thank you for showing us this restoration.
@@ellaisplottingabsolutely. it's super inexpensive too. works great for keeping any number of things where they belong, but won't damage the item or shelf when you take it off.
@@ellaisplotting We bought some at a store when we lived in Northern Nevada, it was kinda needed with all the little quakes. It was like a clear silicon putty I played with as a kid in the late 80s, early 90s or a clear wax. It would tend to ooze a bit so you couldn't use it with unfinished wood or plain paper, but it was fine for or crummy fake shelves and glass.
Thanks for letting everyone watch you work. It must be especially gratifying for the clients to see how you do your restorations and repairs on their beloved pieces.
I am stunned! I am hypercritical about matching areas in repairs and I have never (72 years old) in my life seen anything comparable to your work. Thank You for sharing this piece of work on UA-cam for us all to see and learn from. I am grateful for your time and expertise and calm patience. Thank You ! I am delighted to have found this video.
I watched a video that was similar to this. It was a gentleman in Japan who restores priceless Japanese porcelain. His process is amazing. When he is finished, you cannot tell any repair work was ever done.
Watching him turn shattered pottery into a beautiful 3D piece was truly mesmerizing. Julian's talent knows no bounds, and I can't wait to see what he restores next!
I always find the retouching fascinating. It's like oooh.. that color is close but it's totally noticeable. Then.. oh.. that's closer. Then.. oh.. I think that's even closer... then... hey.. where did the spot go? 😮😮
I used to do this for hours at an archaeology research lab I worked on in uni. I would sit and try and piece together hundreds of little fragments like one big, terrible puzzle. It was so fun!!! Lovely work
I watched you for years and incorporated your lessons into my work. But I always felt good when reassembling damaged sculpture because it was all mine. And you go and do this. Now I am forced to begin work on my hot rod. I think I can be safe and content once again. Ha! Larry in Arizona
I don't want to burst your bubble but Julian also works on his "hot rod" -- a white Porsche. Look out, Larry in Arizona. Someone is gaining on you in your rearview mirror! ;)
@@jseidel5263 took time out from my car to essentially rebuild my pal’s 84 911 SC (with tail). Gutted the interior then restored/replaced everything in there. Removed everything that could be unbolted then replaced/restored it all. Big deal paint (black) restoration. This two owner car was built as a euro soec club racer. Lots of magnesium. Even a carbon fiber panel in the passenger knee space where electronics could be mounted. The car is 100% original Arizona car. And damn, is it fun to toss around. Very easy to work on.
I was impressed with using the thinned adhesive to seal the porous surface before using the full strength adhesive. One very small point, epoxy putty cures, it doesn't dry.
I’m an archaeologist, or was until I retired, and watching this makes my fingers itch. I always got a great deal of pleasure out of taking the broken fragments of an artifact and making it whole again.
Not only are your talents and knowledge amazing, I love your choices of music. Add in listening to your voice, and I completely forget it's Monday and there's a real world. ☺
I can't begin to describe how impressive this is as a mechanic sometimes it seems like we get cars that are in similar condition engines that are destroyed and we don't get the opportunity to reuse the original parts we have to replace the original with something new much like you do here. But we live in such a throwaway world it sure is cathartic to get to see something like this put back together thank you
I don’t know which element of this I prefer - the consummate work completed, Julian’s gentle tones in explaining what he’s doing, or the beautiful background music. The combination is mesmerising ❤
I love your channel...!!! Your work and words affirm the battles I am often faced with in historic furniture and architecture restoration where "experts" (???) in restorationists tell clients it is fine to, "strip off all the finish"...or..."PERMENTATLY" glue vintage objects back together with none archival epoxies and other nonreversible industrial adhesives, completely ignoring reversibility and the "like for like of means, methods and materials ethos" that is supposed to be the foundation of our work. Then I have to re-educate the client on the facts of what real and actual restoration looks like… Wonderful channel and your sharing the methods and thoughts in the process is extremely appreciated…!!!
Julian, your skills and modesty continue to amaze me. You have an incredible talent for resurrecting art and making it pride of place again for those art owners. I wish more people had your work ethic. I really can't think of a better way to start my Monday morning than with a cup of Earl Grey and one of your videos.
Beautifully restored and repaired. Incredibly proud that you attempted this piece. I’m a sculptor and have had to repair my own work, it’s easier for me as I have the exact materials that went into my piece and to repair my own work. ❤
Julian, you never fail to amaze me with your talents. Thank you for sharing them with the internet. I cannot imagine the time and energy that you must take with the camera(s) placement(s), ON TOP OF the work you already do.
These restorations are most interesting to watch. The only element missing for me is information about the piece - its history, artistic importance, the artist who executed the piece, etc.
Julian: I was delighted to see you work on this piece of pottery. I wasn’t to sure you did this sort of work too. Simply outstanding! You bring to this type of work the same skill and genius, that you bring to your restoration of paintings. Magnificent! Carol from California
👏👏These types of projects are always the most inspiring for me to watch as the audience gets to see you problem solve something out of your "comfort zone", but well within your capabilities as an artist.
If Julians hands are not insured, they should be. The way he brings back to life beauty in art is truly a gift. His hands should be protected at all cost.
Julian your skill never fails to amaze me. I really enjoy watching people who enjoy what they do and are ready to take on challenging projects, because they help sharpen those skills. And generally will be the projects that end up teaching you something new. Thank you for bringing us along on the work you do. I absolutely love it.
Julian, I had to pause the video upon seeing your floral shirt. It is absolutely stunning and I hope to see more bold prints! (Also, I think it would be cool if you matched your outfits to the paintings sometime!)
Wow! This was mesmerizing. You are incredibly talented. I always tell my children to pay attention to detail. It is what makes the difference between a professional and a worker.
As someone who has - admittedly with much less suitable equipment - attempted similar projects and failed spectacularly, I found this one astonishingly impressive.
A beautiful, thoughtful, masterful job. I’m always impressed by how sharp your retouching eye is, especially on pieces with such complex colors. I wouldn’t have noticed just how gorgeous a piece this was if I hadn’t watched you retouch it up close.
I recently bought a vase with an almost identical design at a vintage shop. Since you have knowledge in this area, do you have any idea on how I could find some info on the artist?
Wow, as a crafter, puzzler, photo fixer and general pedantic Pat, this restoration is so appealing and satisfying. Well done Julian. You make my day when you tackle the unusual.
Aw yeah. You’re top two, and not number two when it comes to restoring things. You ate this one up 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾. And im still in awe of you making your own glue AND putting it in its own tubes. Its the little things 🤌🏾.
Another commenter identified the piece as the work of a prominent Italian ceramicist whose work can fetch up to $10k. There's no way the owners would have just chucked it.
@@jase_allen it would depend if the owners knew that though. If they had just gotten it from some relative and didn’t know the history behind it, they might have thought it wasn’t worth fixing!
@@jase_allen This is not the work of that artist. I have seen pieces like this for sale in Venice at the street markets. The telling sign is the sloppy "Italy" on the bottom. It is probably a sentimental piece that is worth more to the heart than to the wallet.
You are some mix of wizard, magician, artist, genius and all-around fascinating fellow to watch. You give hope...which is priceless. Thank you for sharing your gifts; your skills; and yourself.
Was intrigued to watch the matching of paint to glaze...takes a couple of tries for sure since it is not an easy thing to do as many a professional potter would warn you. So well done sir!
Isn't he amazing? I can imagine myself cleaning paintings, applying fill and in this case assembling shards, but when I see him retouching, recreating colour and pattern and texture so perfectly, I'm just boggled by his talent and skill!
@@b.a.erlebacher1139 Agreed definitely. When I think of all of those who thumb their lives away on a small glass and metal 'phone'/computer ...the skills Julian demonstrates, the patience and self-discipline is wonderfully impressive.
As a therapist who works with people in pain, I find myself relating to your diligent care for each piece, its history, and the desires of its owner. You know how good you are at what you do and sometimes have different desires because you can envision possibilities that they can not. I admire how you balance all of that in pursuit of delivering the best result that you can, and you think in terms of what might be in the distant future, trying to prevent avoidable problems that might be faced by the owners and/or other conservators. You know that there is always room for learning, growth, and the possibility for error. Your videos are relaxing, inspiring, and I am learning a lot. I hope to be as good at my work as you are at yours.
The technique of putting together a support from stiff paper is really nice to know - I bet that'll be useful to everyday people who break stuff and want to reassemble it at home!
I like repairing art just for nonsensical fun (I know I don't have the supplies or understanding to do a pro job), but every time I watch this channel I joke, "If only it occurred to me earlier this was a job option."
14:34 The sculpting putty being used is Milliput. It can be used to make sculptures, fill larger imperfections, or it can be used to recreate lost pieces on many items.
Terrific video. I learned so much and understand why these restorations cost what they cost. I have an art tea pot that's been broken twice. First by someone who insisted on moving it to a safer spot, without asking. Within two hours.... Insurance claim and then repaired. It looked the same as unbroken but of course the value is much lower. I got it because I love it, I still love it. (Always always ask to keep the remnants. I know of someone who worked for an insurance company who was given a burnt painting that restored has a link to Caravaggio. The insured let it go, the company got tired of it taking up space.) The second time my art pot was broken was twenty years later by someone completely irresponsible who yanked on it because it was earthquake waxed. They didn't need to move it, or touch it; they shouldn't have been anywhere near it, or even in my house. The original restorer is retired... so I think I'll do this one. It'll be a lot easier than the one in the video. And I've got some skills in this area, not like Baumgartner of course. This was magic. I once dinged a piece of painted furniture in an AirBnB, it was so much fun to get acrylic paint, mix it to match and make the repair.
This was a real treat to show us your work in a different medium that may be out of your comfort zone. What a journey from seeing the abysmal shattered and numerous pieces to how you took us through your problem solving thought process for an unbelievably polished piece of art in rhe end. Awesome episode!
A friend of mine is an installer at the Cleveland Museum Of Art. One day he and the curator of Ancient Egypt were moving a faience piece when the curator dropped it and it smashed into a million pieces. My friend thought for sure that the curator would blame it on him, but fortunately the curator was decent enough to admit that he did it. The piece was restored and back on view in a few months or so.
It's quite scary that basic honesty and decency is so rare that we praise it. I imagine the moments of uncertainty whether the curator would turn out to be an a-hole were quite frightening. I would have fainted if I destroyed something that managed to survive eons.. which is precisely why it's not a line of work I could pursue with my two left feet 😅
Fascinating watching you make your own glue for this. I was surprised that you wanted it to be reversible. I mean, that makes perfect sense in the context of your work, but it was hard to imagine the client ever wanting to reverse this repair you did. Regardless, thank you as always for letting us all watch you work!
Having done a bit of reassembling of broken pottery myself, I've found myself wishing I could reverse my own work just because all the tiny inevitable misalignments had added up to something quite notable with the last piece. :)
I'd be interesting to hear Julian's take on Kintsugi. Not that it would be an appropriate technique for the kind of restoration he does, but it is at an interesting halfway point between restoration and creating new art.
@@bkuker I'd think Julian would do that if asked, of course a conservation grade kintsugi that can be reversed if, for example, the owner found another piece of it that their cat had made off with, and wanted to have it added back.
Love that the client vacuumed up and provided all the dust and small particles. Now that's optimism!!
I wonder if he could have mixed the tiny pieces into the fill-in material, so at least everything goes back into the piece? Otherwise he returns it with a little sack of dust.
i'd rather call it reasonable. better to keep it and not need it than to need it after it's discarded!
Something tells me this was not their first rodeo.
Hilarious!
I think vacuuming would be a little harsh
Having worked on archaeological sites, I can say that nothing compares to the satisfaction when two pottery shards come together in that incontrovertible perfect fit...!
Oh it’s such a pleasure.
Archaeological sites? I get that satisfaction from dropping my cereal bowl on the kitchen floor and gluing two shards together.
I currently live in Marseille, Southern France. I made a habit of going to the Beach after bringing the kids to Ecole Maternelle once or twice a week and collect coloured pottery shards, which are quite plentiful there. Never I find some of the same piece, never. But over two days, I found two connecting pieces of the same dish a few dozen metres apart.
Now I have no hopes over ever winning the lottery, though.
🤣🤣🤣
Having worked on archaeological sites, I would have expected you to use "sherds", not "shards".
as an archaeologist, i love seeing an art conservator’s approach to vesselization. it is my favorite activity in the lab. I am extremely jealous, however, that there is a 100% complete piece at the end. if only it was like this with excavated assemblages!
I am fairly certain that I would happily sit and listen to Julian reading the ingredients off the packets in my food cupboard.
He has a great voice for video voiceovers, maybe a second career when he retires.😊
He can read the phone book for me any day.
I have said this before, but I could listen to both Alan Rickman and Julian Baumgartner read the telephone book to me. No word of a lie!
He calms me so much that I had fallen asleep during his restoration, just to re-watch the whole processes the next day,
@@MyAltag I watch a certain vlog that I adore of Julian’s to to listen to him and the choice of music he uses !!
My fingers are covered with dry glue today after gluing together 4 dinosaur bones as a volunteer at the Natural History museum. Fun watching your gluing adventure
every time you go in with the colour, I'm like.. "oh, that's waaAAaay off!!" 2 minutes later.. "WHAT SORCERY IS THIS!?!?!" every. single. time. 😝
Jip
First pass: "That's too dark/too bright." Ten seconds later after a color with an almost imperceptible change in shade is applied with a little dibble-dabble motion: "WHERE IS IT?!"
My thoughts exactly. "That looks like crap." Then, "Wait! What just happened?!?"
On the first arrow I looked away to sneeze and said sorry to my cat who I just woke up and then I looked back and was like "wait."
i’ve learned to trust the process
"This is a technique that is used by..... *long pause* *mouse click* paleontologists and archeologists..." THE WAY I CACKLED @ 9:30 AT THE SILENCE THEN JUST A MOUSE CLICK I-
I initially thought my headphones had died.
Would it even be a Baum video without an unedited blooper left in?
@@steveurquell3031preach bruv!
It reminds us he is just as human as the rest of us.
🖱 ✨️
I'm watching this, envisioning what made that beautiful bowl swan-dive from the top of that bookcase, and the following came to mind: "If the world were actually flat, cats would have pushed everything over the edge by now."
I was wondering if a cat had been involved as well! Watched this while one of my cats was laying on my desk getting pets. lol!
this is why you keep a bag of sand inside vases, bowls, pitchers/jugs and any other type of vessel you don't want tipping easily. also not keeping them at the tippy top of the shelf is important.
Based on the tether comment I wondered if it was an earthquake. Our cat never knocked anything over (might be because she wasn't allowed on shelves, only the cat tree) but we still used a special putty to secure everything from glasses to picture frames to the shelf when we lived in Northern Nevada because we'd get quakes several times a year, or even several times a month!
I wondered what the obviously-added, but very small lip on the front of the all the kitchen cabinets was for when we first moved in. I soon figured out it was to keep dishes from "walking" forward enough to push the doors open.
@@mwater_moon2865 what a clever idea! I hope we upgrade building codes around the nation to better withstand the natural disasters of that area. We so need this!
17:54 "You know, it's MY job. I chose to do this so complaining is NOT in the cards." - what a very mature and adult statement.
This vase was created by the Italian ceramicist Aldo Londi (1911-2003), renowned for his mid-century designs. These pieces can fetch up to $10,000 at auction.
Thanks. I was wondering who made it.
Thank You for this. I'll feast my eyes upon his work, this vase is gorgeous.
I'm glad I scrolled through the comments. Thanks for suppkying information about this particular work of art. It looked quite beautful. The blue/greens reminded me of the colors of the Caribbean.
You are WRONG, this is not Bitossi designed by Aldo Londi, this is some unknown Florentine pottery, not even worth much.
@@joshr9417Especially after first being shattered !
What elevates this man's craft from workmanship to genius is his color matching skills. What he is able to achieve borders on sorcery.
color... and pattern too
He would have made a good "color timer" working in film or color correction for digital.
Indeed
There must have been a step where he examined his work with the type of light under which it would be displayed, and made final color corrections. Excellent craftsmanship!
I can second that. I don't think it's possible to convey just how difficult it is. At least not to any one who has no experience in attempting it. It's kind of infuriating to watch. I mean amazing. Well, no, infuriating.
I had a good family friend growing up who attempted to be a pottery and ceramic artist when he was young, but fell into restoration. He ended up making a career of it. He worked on national treasures, artist masterpieces, and archeologically important pieces. He was the kind of guy who you went to after others said it was impossible.
One of my favorite experiences as a child was going to his studio, low lit, with his workbench lit with his work lights, and on his black velvet lined work bench as a set of fine china. Pieces large as a plate, down to a pin head. All kind up by size, and color. All in various states.
Turns out it was one of the founding father's China that had been destroyed during the war of 1812, that had been hidden and buried along with other items. Then forgotten to be buried and crushed.
I saw his work in the Smithsonian National History Museum after he had died many years later. It was the same piece. I mentioned to one of the docents that I knew who had restored it when he asked me to back away. And that he was a close family friend.
He went and grabbed one of the staff to introduce me. They were so gracious, asked me questions, and to detailed notes.
He said, pottery restoration is a mix of artistry, chemistry, and engineering... And all insanity. On non -historical pieces you could do what you did here. Go down to the smallest pieces that made sense. But on historically or archaeologically important pieces, you had to attempt to account for everything.
I think one of the attractive features of this channel is being able to watch Julian in the battle against entropy. Every time he puts something right that was wrong. Like a police sitcom where they always get their guy, you know that at the end of the video there is always a satisfying outcome.
That's a very accurate and poetic way of putting it
Yep!
I should send you one of my broken pots that I can't bring myself to throw away!
You could repair it yourself in the style of Julian ! Lol
@@mandycoleman1394 i would love to watch a video like that tbh
If you fix it, record it, even if you have zero sound, there are plenty of people who will watch.
@@Piddypng ditto .
I have a little figurine that a boy gave me in 2nd grade before we had to move away. My brother broke it three times because he knew it was one of my most treasured possessions. I still have the pieces, though it’s been over 40 years. It’s just a little mass-produced Hallmark figurine, but maybe I’ll try to repair it one more time, with this video as inspiration. :)
This is exactly what I wanted to see! I’ve always thought pottery was a goner after it smashed but this’ll be a real treat
Can confirm. It was a real treat to watch.
You're gonna love Kintsugi videos then 😊
@@MasumiSeike I much prefer Kintsugi to this!
@@chloeuntrau4588 I love it as well though this does show an impressive amount of dedication and skill. After all if the owner wants it that way, they get it that way.
@@chloeuntrau4588 they're different approaches to restoration, and both have their advantage and place. Even in Japan, restorations will use one or the other depending on context and requirements (look up Mayuyama Koji for a famous non-kintsugi conservator-restorer).
As a ceramicist I really hope one day someone loves my work enough to send it in for restoration.
One of my favorite youtube videos was a series where a museum fixes a glass vase (including casting missing pieces). It's fascinating to see broken things put back together!
Can we get a name for the video, please?
@HalcyonAcorn pretty sure they are talking about the corning museum of glass channel, they had a series about glass conservation
@@HalcyonAcorn It's the British Museum 9-parts series on conserving a roman glass urn, "Conservation of a Romano-British urn". Episode 7 and 8 are about the missing pieces casting
@@marinewauquier8630 oh, wow!! That would be something to watch!
Thanks! This sounds awesome, gonna watch it next 👌🏽
This is how I feel when I'm down in my little workshop closet, wearing readers, CA glue in hand, putting my 6 year old's toy back together or reassembling the ceramic magnet that was launched from the fridge door. I mean, it's exactly the same, just like when I yell at a quarterback for not throwing a pass that I would've (in Madden).
Great work as always.
Hi. I have a degree in archaeological sciences. Now I have a job in a totally different field, but this video made me cry with nostalgia. Finding small pieces of pottery and putting them back togheter was so beautiful and satisfying. Thank you for showing us this restoration.
If the owner ever sees this, I recommend museum gel to help keep it steady on the shelf
Ooh I've never heard of that, can laypeople get their hands on it?
@@ellaisplotting Looks like it can be found on Amazon
@@ellaisplottingabsolutely. it's super inexpensive too. works great for keeping any number of things where they belong, but won't damage the item or shelf when you take it off.
@@katherinramos3817 oh that's marvellous! Thank you for the information!
@@ellaisplotting We bought some at a store when we lived in Northern Nevada, it was kinda needed with all the little quakes. It was like a clear silicon putty I played with as a kid in the late 80s, early 90s or a clear wax. It would tend to ooze a bit so you couldn't use it with unfinished wood or plain paper, but it was fine for or crummy fake shelves and glass.
Thanks for letting everyone watch you work. It must be especially gratifying for the clients to see how you do your restorations and repairs on their beloved pieces.
Glad you got it fixed before Mom and Dad got home! 😅
Beautiful work as always.
I wish I could've seen the owners faces when they got their vase back. They must've been over the moon to see it restored!
If he filled in any cracks or chips it had before the break, it probably looks better than it did before. Must have been very awesome for the client
It ended up being a worthless glued together garish pot.
@@LynnKsCouture That clearly has a very large amount of sentimental value to the owners. 🤷♂
It’s not worthless to the owner.
Professional restoration preserves most of the resale value. So worth every penny!
You create the very best bedtime stories on the planet. Thank you. Goodnight! ❤
I am stunned! I am hypercritical about matching areas in repairs and I have never (72 years old) in my life seen anything comparable to your work.
Thank You for sharing this piece of work on UA-cam for us all to see and learn from. I am grateful for your time and expertise and calm patience. Thank You ! I am delighted to have found this video.
And that's why Julian Baumgartner's channel is one of my favorites. Beautiful piece of restoration. ✨
I watched a video that was similar to this. It was a gentleman in Japan who restores priceless Japanese porcelain. His process is amazing. When he is finished, you cannot tell any repair work was ever done.
Do you happen to have the name of the video or UA-camr at least? I would love to watch.
@@jborth2010 The Unknown Master of Restoration: Episode 2 - NHK WORLD PRIME
@@schnurrikowski3251watching it now. Many thanks 👍
Yes!! That chap is absolutely amazing! I think he would have had a heart attack though seeing Julian using epoxy putty 😂
It is a wonderful miniseries. The porcelain horse is especially impressive
I knew I recognized Milliput! Funny how versatile that stuff is.
Watching him turn shattered pottery into a beautiful 3D piece was truly mesmerizing. Julian's talent knows no bounds, and I can't wait to see what he restores next!
I always find the retouching fascinating. It's like oooh.. that color is close but it's totally noticeable. Then.. oh.. that's closer. Then.. oh.. I think that's even closer... then... hey.. where did the spot go? 😮😮
I used to do this for hours at an archaeology research lab I worked on in uni. I would sit and try and piece together hundreds of little fragments like one big, terrible puzzle. It was so fun!!! Lovely work
I watched you for years and incorporated your lessons into my work. But I always felt good when reassembling damaged sculpture because it was all mine. And you go and do this. Now I am forced to begin work on my hot rod. I think I can be safe and content once again. Ha! Larry in Arizona
I don't want to burst your bubble but Julian also works on his "hot rod" -- a white Porsche. Look out, Larry in Arizona. Someone is gaining on you in your rearview mirror! ;)
@@jseidel5263 took time out from my car to essentially rebuild my pal’s 84 911 SC (with tail). Gutted the interior then restored/replaced everything in there. Removed everything that could be unbolted then replaced/restored it all. Big deal paint (black) restoration. This two owner car was built as a euro soec club racer. Lots of magnesium. Even a carbon fiber panel in the passenger knee space where electronics could be mounted. The car is 100% original Arizona car. And damn, is it fun to toss around. Very easy to work on.
I was impressed with using the thinned adhesive to seal the porous surface before using the full strength adhesive. One very small point, epoxy putty cures, it doesn't dry.
I’m an archaeologist, or was until I retired, and watching this makes my fingers itch. I always got a great deal of pleasure out of taking the broken fragments of an artifact and making it whole again.
you must love a good puzzle night! 😊
@@litebrite8993 I like a good jigsaw puzzle, but it’s just not the same.
Not only are your talents and knowledge amazing, I love your choices of music. Add in listening to your voice, and I completely forget it's Monday and there's a real world. ☺
I can't begin to describe how impressive this is as a mechanic sometimes it seems like we get cars that are in similar condition engines that are destroyed and we don't get the opportunity to reuse the original parts we have to replace the original with something new much like you do here. But we live in such a throwaway world it sure is cathartic to get to see something like this put back together thank you
I don’t know which element of this I prefer - the consummate work completed, Julian’s gentle tones in explaining what he’s doing, or the beautiful background music. The combination is mesmerising ❤
Superb, indeed
Your audio is impeccable. Thank you
I love your channel...!!!
Your work and words affirm the battles I am often faced with in historic furniture and architecture restoration where "experts" (???) in restorationists tell clients it is fine to, "strip off all the finish"...or..."PERMENTATLY" glue vintage objects back together with none archival epoxies and other nonreversible industrial adhesives, completely ignoring reversibility and the "like for like of means, methods and materials ethos" that is supposed to be the foundation of our work. Then I have to re-educate the client on the facts of what real and actual restoration looks like…
Wonderful channel and your sharing the methods and thoughts in the process is extremely appreciated…!!!
Julian, your skills and modesty continue to amaze me. You have an incredible talent for resurrecting art and making it pride of place again for those art owners. I wish more people had your work ethic. I really can't think of a better way to start my Monday morning than with a cup of Earl Grey and one of your videos.
If there's ever been a Baumgartner metaphor video of my life, this is the one
We all fall off the top shelf now and then, but hopefully we don't explode into a million pieces. 😁
@@CallieMasters5000 I've exploded at least twice in my life, but hopefully the acid free paper and loads of tape continue to hold!
Hear Hear!
Patience was truly the secret to success here!
Beautifully restored and repaired. Incredibly proud that you attempted this piece.
I’m a sculptor and have had to repair my own work, it’s easier for me as I have the exact materials that went into my piece and to repair my own work. ❤
Is there something Mr Baumgartner cant fix? I am deeply impressed by all his skills, creativity and his knowledge!
Hat off!
i loved the other sculpture episode a few years ago and I'm excited for this one ❤
Julian, you never fail to amaze me with your talents. Thank you for sharing them with the internet.
I cannot imagine the time and energy that you must take with the camera(s) placement(s), ON TOP OF the work you already do.
These restorations are most interesting to watch. The only element missing for me is information about the piece - its history, artistic importance, the artist who executed the piece, etc.
Extraordinary. Watching the retouching process was straight up magical. Thank you!
This was outstanding. I am an art pottery collector and this was truly enjoyable to watch. New subscriber!
This really is an amazing restoration. I am very impressed. Bravo.
Julian: I was delighted to see you work on this piece of pottery. I wasn’t to sure you did this sort of work too. Simply outstanding! You bring to this type of work the same skill and genius, that you bring to your restoration of paintings. Magnificent! Carol from California
👏👏These types of projects are always the most inspiring for me to watch as the audience gets to see you problem solve something out of your "comfort zone", but well within your capabilities as an artist.
If Julians hands are not insured, they should be. The way he brings back to life beauty in art is truly a gift. His hands should be protected at all cost.
Julian is a restoration genius
Julian your skill never fails to amaze me. I really enjoy watching people who enjoy what they do and are ready to take on challenging projects, because they help sharpen those skills. And generally will be the projects that end up teaching you something new. Thank you for bringing us along on the work you do. I absolutely love it.
good day, I admire your work, I am your fan from the Czech Republic
Julian, I had to pause the video upon seeing your floral shirt. It is absolutely stunning and I hope to see more bold prints!
(Also, I think it would be cool if you matched your outfits to the paintings sometime!)
I love his shirts 😅
Wow! This was mesmerizing. You are incredibly talented. I always tell my children to pay attention to detail. It is what makes the difference between a professional and a worker.
As someone who has - admittedly with much less suitable equipment - attempted similar projects and failed spectacularly, I found this one astonishingly impressive.
A beautiful, thoughtful, masterful job. I’m always impressed by how sharp your retouching eye is, especially on pieces with such complex colors. I wouldn’t have noticed just how gorgeous a piece this was if I hadn’t watched you retouch it up close.
“And now for something different!” Bravo Julian, bravo 👏 you amaze at every turn !
I found it poetic that you started with the artist's signature. It gave me the impression of an invocation.
As a person obsessed with your channel, and an AVID Italian MCM pottery collector: THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND IMPORTANT CONTENT EVER.
I recently bought a vase with an almost identical design at a vintage shop. Since you have knowledge in this area, do you have any idea on how I could find some info on the artist?
Wow, as a crafter, puzzler, photo fixer and general pedantic Pat, this restoration is so appealing and satisfying. Well done Julian. You make my day when you tackle the unusual.
Beautiful musical selection for the retouching - thank you!!
Aw yeah. You’re top two, and not number two when it comes to restoring things. You ate this one up 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾. And im still in awe of you making your own glue AND putting it in its own tubes. Its the little things 🤌🏾.
This video is earth-shattering!
This was so different from what we are used to from you but I *loved* it! I'm sure I'd watch you restore literally anything.
When I watch you doing retouching, I can see the area you did, then I glance away for a moment and look back, and it disappears! 😊👍
Amazing!
I’m impressed with not just the depth of you knowledge and skill, but also the breadth.
I’m glad the owner didn’t just throw out the pieces, this turned out amazing!!!
❤️❤️❤️👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Another commenter identified the piece as the work of a prominent Italian ceramicist whose work can fetch up to $10k. There's no way the owners would have just chucked it.
@@jase_allen it would depend if the owners knew that though. If they had just gotten it from some relative and didn’t know the history behind it, they might have thought it wasn’t worth fixing!
@@jase_allen This is not the work of that artist. I have seen pieces like this for sale in Venice at the street markets. The telling sign is the sloppy "Italy" on the bottom. It is probably a sentimental piece that is worth more to the heart than to the wallet.
You are some mix of wizard, magician, artist, genius and all-around fascinating fellow to watch. You give hope...which is priceless. Thank you for sharing your gifts; your skills; and yourself.
Was intrigued to watch the matching of paint to glaze...takes a couple of tries for sure since it is not an easy thing to do as many a professional potter would warn you. So well done sir!
Isn't he amazing? I can imagine myself cleaning paintings, applying fill and in this case assembling shards, but when I see him retouching, recreating colour and pattern and texture so perfectly, I'm just boggled by his talent and skill!
@@b.a.erlebacher1139 Agreed definitely. When I think of all of those who thumb their lives away on a small glass and metal 'phone'/computer ...the skills Julian demonstrates, the patience and self-discipline is wonderfully impressive.
As a therapist who works with people in pain, I find myself relating to your diligent care for each piece, its history, and the desires of its owner. You know how good you are at what you do and sometimes have different desires because you can envision possibilities that they can not. I admire how you balance all of that in pursuit of delivering the best result that you can, and you think in terms of what might be in the distant future, trying to prevent avoidable problems that might be faced by the owners and/or other conservators. You know that there is always room for learning, growth, and the possibility for error. Your videos are relaxing, inspiring, and I am learning a lot. I hope to be as good at my work as you are at yours.
7:48 Ah PARALOID, it's the reversible miracle glue. Perfect! I use it for many things and also for preserving fossils.
Thank you! I was wondering what the magical adhesive was, and it makes me happy to know, even if I might never use it.
Your color matching never fails to impress me.
As a hobby potter, I never clicked on one of your videos as quickly as I did now 👀
Good work on that kind of piece you arent even used to restore, always amazed by how pristine you make it
I watched the whole thing before commenting and I’m glad I did. My curiosity paid off, excellent job Julian!
The technique of putting together a support from stiff paper is really nice to know - I bet that'll be useful to everyday people who break stuff and want to reassemble it at home!
I like repairing art just for nonsensical fun (I know I don't have the supplies or understanding to do a pro job), but every time I watch this channel I joke, "If only it occurred to me earlier this was a job option."
14:34 The sculpting putty being used is Milliput. It can be used to make sculptures, fill larger imperfections, or it can be used to recreate lost pieces on many items.
Have not watched yet, looking forward to the hot table moment to see how that works out :P
the original glaze on that is beautiful. great job with the restoration.
Ok the glue making is pretty cool. 🤗
Exceptional restoration.❤
Terrific video. I learned so much and understand why these restorations cost what they cost. I have an art tea pot that's been broken twice. First by someone who insisted on moving it to a safer spot, without asking. Within two hours.... Insurance claim and then repaired. It looked the same as unbroken but of course the value is much lower. I got it because I love it, I still love it.
(Always always ask to keep the remnants. I know of someone who worked for an insurance company who was given a burnt painting that restored has a link to Caravaggio. The insured let it go, the company got tired of it taking up space.)
The second time my art pot was broken was twenty years later by someone completely irresponsible who yanked on it because it was earthquake waxed. They didn't need to move it, or touch it; they shouldn't have been anywhere near it, or even in my house. The original restorer is retired... so I think I'll do this one. It'll be a lot easier than the one in the video. And I've got some skills in this area, not like Baumgartner of course. This was magic. I once dinged a piece of painted furniture in an AirBnB, it was so much fun to get acrylic paint, mix it to match and make the repair.
This was a real treat to show us your work in a different medium that may be out of your comfort zone. What a journey from seeing the abysmal shattered and numerous pieces to how you took us through your problem solving thought process for an unbelievably polished piece of art in rhe end. Awesome episode!
That was refreshing ❤
I am totally impressed.... you are definitely a Master at anything and everything you touch! God's gift to you! Well done, young man!
That is a beautiful pot
After watching your video, it gave me confidence to restore my sculpture. Thanks! ✌
A friend of mine is an installer at the Cleveland Museum Of Art. One day he and the curator of Ancient Egypt were moving a faience piece when the curator dropped it and it smashed into a million pieces. My friend thought for sure that the curator would blame it on him, but fortunately the curator was decent enough to admit that he did it. The piece was restored and back on view in a few months or so.
It's quite scary that basic honesty and decency is so rare that we praise it. I imagine the moments of uncertainty whether the curator would turn out to be an a-hole were quite frightening. I would have fainted if I destroyed something that managed to survive eons.. which is precisely why it's not a line of work I could pursue with my two left feet 😅
Fascinating watching you make your own glue for this. I was surprised that you wanted it to be reversible. I mean, that makes perfect sense in the context of your work, but it was hard to imagine the client ever wanting to reverse this repair you did. Regardless, thank you as always for letting us all watch you work!
Having done a bit of reassembling of broken pottery myself, I've found myself wishing I could reverse my own work just because all the tiny inevitable misalignments had added up to something quite notable with the last piece. :)
Damn fine job!
I love Kintsugi. It would be very interesting to have customer reactions to your work.
You can't compare both techniques..
@@chloeuntrau4588 I'm not. I am sitting watching and putting it back together in the Kintsugi style in my mind. It helps exercise the imagination.
I'd be interesting to hear Julian's take on Kintsugi. Not that it would be an appropriate technique for the kind of restoration he does, but it is at an interesting halfway point between restoration and creating new art.
@@bkuker I'd think Julian would do that if asked, of course a conservation grade kintsugi that can be reversed if, for example, the owner found another piece of it that their cat had made off with, and wanted to have it added back.
Such artistry. Your process of repainting the defects almost makes my heart ache.
Now this is awesome!
I feel like this would have been a lovely candidate for Kintsugi. But the restoration was amazing to watch.
Where were you when Humpty Dumpty needed you most?
He was at house eating dorrito
This comment is SO underrated.