At Square Drop studio, we recently completed work on a Dutch “prikslee” (sleigh) dating back to 1907. This piece has taken on a new role as a home decor element—a statement piece designed to highlight the character of an interior.
In this case, we opted for preventive conservation rather than a full restoration. Our primary goal was to preserve the original structure without altering its appearance.
In practice, this meant adhering to specific conservation principles – we intentionally left all traces of use, such as scratches on the runners, abrasions on the wood, and minor mechanical damage.
In the case of decorative objects, it is these very details that testify to the authenticity, age, and history of the item; therefore, we did not apply integrative retouching nor did we fill in any losses. Any interference of this kind would blur the history of these magnificent sleds.
It is worth noting that the tradition of using such objects dates back hundreds of years. Children moving on sleds propelled by poles tipped with spikes were immortalized in the paintings of Dutch masters, including the famous works of Pieter Bruegel the Elder as early as 1566.
It was precisely the analysis of characteristic mechanical damage on the sides of the structure—traces of impacts from a sharp spike—that allowed us to precisely identify the type of object, even though the original poles have not survived to our time.
A video featuring the sleds is available on our YouTube channel: YouTube