ÅAS’ lectern in the banquet hall was restored with funding from Åbo Akademis Alumner

Åbo Akademis Alumner (Alumni association of ÅAU) gifted ÅAS with a contribution as an Annual Ball gift to restore the lectern that has stood in a prominent place in the Kåren banquet hall.

Ateljé Lassi Koivunen carried out the conservation work and described the lectern and the process:

“Externally, the lectern’s appearance is dominated by thick leather, which has been easier to work with than if one had attempted to make it from bent birch, which was typical of the period. The brown colour of the leather also blended naturally with the other brown tones in the banquet hall. The lectern is adorned with ornamentation on the front, indicating for whom the piece was made.

The gilded lyre, the black Brahe wings with gold edging and the white lily beneath them are symbols associated with the Student Union of Åbo Akademi University.

The relief pattern on the lyre had almost completely come away and had been temporarily repaired with putty and glue, which fortunately had not caused any damage to the lectern. Some of the leaf motifs were missing entirely.”

The thoroughly restored lectern now stands once more in its place in Kåren’s banquet hall. ÅAS would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to Åbo Akademis Alumner r.f., whose Annual Ball donation made the conservation work possible. Together we are preserving the history of the Student Union and building its future for coming generations of students.

Pictures of the lectern before, during and after the conservation

Photographs and description of the lectern: Ateljé Lassi Koivunen