The second method is the application of lacquer after the article has been heated. The heating may be done in a gas-oven, or by the application of a flat-iron such as is used by laundresses. Then lacquer should be applied hot, and if the object lacquered has cooled in the process heat should again be applied as in the first process. It should be clearly understood that cleaning and relacquering old brass and copper-work should be done with very great care and with a full appreciation of the curio value of old finish, and of the marks and evidences of age which are so dear to the collector. The pickling of brasswork in acid and subsequent lacquering should only be resorted to when it is absolutely necessary to effect such restoration, and to make the objects sufficiently presentable so that they may be included in a cabinet or exhibited in the collection of metal curios; for the possession of old copper and brass is nothing without the opportunity of showing it. There are some specialists who devote their attention to the restoration and bronzing of mediæval and early ecclesiastical work. It may on occasion be necessary to consult such a firm before attempting anything which would savour of vandalism and rob the present-day possessor and curio-hunter of the future of what might eventually become a rare antiquity. Polishing Brass. It may at times be necessary to polish parts of curios which have been subjected to rough wear and are, therefore, badly scratched. A very fine file will remove scratches; fine emery will then make the surface quite smooth, after which it can be polished with rotten stone and oil, some adding a little turpentine. Restoring Antique Finishes. There are many beautiful antiques which have been subjected to rough usage or through some accident have had the oxidation rubbed off in parts. To clean such an antique so as to secure uniformity of appearance would be a mistake. It is better to "restore" the finish and imitate that which age has imparted. The solution required is 60 gr. nitrate of silver and 2-1/2 oz. water, mixed with a solution of 60 gr. nitrate of copper and 2-1/2 oz. water. After the solution has been applied to the parts the object should be heated in a gas-oven until it is sufficiently dark coloured. Some time ago an expert in Indian antiques, bronzes, and metal-work published in _The Times of India_ an account of how Oriental bronze and brass which had been soiled and scratched by time and climatic conditions might be restored. The writer went on to describe how the great secret of restoring the dull half-green and half-brown shades had been revealed to him. The remedy he propounded was simple in the extreme. It was that the statue should be washed in beer, which should not be rubbed off but allowed to dry on. Using the Burnisher.