Peter Korompai

Works 21 photographs

Restoration of the old twins

Two early-1800s twin stoves from the bishop's palace in Székesfehérvár, recorded, taken apart and rebuilt piece by piece.

Cracked cream stove tiles with a carved leaf relief.
Site recording As you can see, this old piece was in a critical condition.
A carved white ornament on an old stove, with rope-like details.
The origin Twin stoves, same size, pattern, in a huge ceremonial hall, made in the early 1800-s. Standing in the palace of the Catholic Bishopric of Székesfehérvár in the middle of Hungary.
Cracked white relief tiles with scroll and leaf motifs.
Details Every detail is listed, photographed, each piece gets a sticker with numbers, before the careful deconstruction.
A hand touching a plaster rose ornament on the stove.
Flexible roses These roses were hanging on a hidden wire hook. Just for fun, or as an odd earthquake seismograph? I've never seen such a thing before.
Three people on scaffolding measuring a tall white stove.
Measurement Total heights of both tile stoves are 436 centimeter, diameters are 80 centimeter at the widest points.
A man reaching inside the dismantled round base of a stove.
Taking care Just carefully with these old twin ladies. They were built from 9 rings, sometimes we fixed the elements of a ring temporarily before lifting it down. It was safer to take them apart on the ground.
A workshop floor with people wrapping large white stove sections.
Packing, wrapping Each piece was immediately wrapped in bubble foil, taped around and numbered.
A white lion relief on the stove, crossed by a red strap.
My favorite A gloomy lion from one of the stoves..
The back of a white lion relief on the stove, with carved details.
Reverse Gloomy lion's rear from the other stove.
Two men examining numbered white stove pieces.
Numbers Every small bit got a number: it is over eight hundred already. Numbering is important, as it would have been impossible to find the right place for the hundreds of bits.
The open firebox of an old stove, blackened and filled with an iron grate.
Not in our days. This wrought iron stucture, so called firebasket saved the thin wall of the stove from the hits of the wooden logs.
The old stove base with a firebox and exposed brick chimney.
Where is the fireing door? Yes, the door is on the other side of the thick wall, on a corridor. Servants could feed the stove without disturbing the big fellows.
A workshop wall lined with restored white stove pieces.
Six months later Every piece is repaired, fixed. Rebuilding starts.
A man working on white stove ornaments in a workshop.
Fireproof master? No, not at all. It was just easier to fix the parts from the inside.
A round white stove section resting on a pallet.
Prepared for lift The elements of the rings are fixed together, so it's easy to work with them.
Two men carrying a round white stove section across a room.
Easy? Well, not physically.
Two men assembling a tall white stove on scaffolding.
Like lego Thanks to the proper preparation, work goes well.
A carved white lion on the stove, seen from the side.
Guardian He is much cleaner, but still gloomy. Still my favourite.
A white lion relief with a garland on the palace stove.
Naidraug.... Naidraug - the opposite gloomy guardian. Sorry!
A tall white tiled stove in an ornate palace room.
Left Cupboard, and two tablets beside. This is the only difference, otherwise it's just like the other. I enjoyed this work very much, and I'm very proud of it.