Maria

Before I start this blog I want to thank the owner of ARTELUDES and Kevin for helping me get her shipped to Hong Kong.  

Ok, I know that's a bit creepy...so instead I'll say you invest in another Berrocal.  

Much like Michelle, Maria has been unloved.  The previous owner cared so little for her that he lost the locking piece.  Her left leg.  Poor Maria is an amputee.  What a disastrous thing to have happen!  (If anyone out there reading this would like to make me an impression of your locking mechanism, I'd be forever grateful, or if you know of how I can request a replacement piece...)  He also loved it so much he tossed the book that comes with her.  Now I ask you, does a person like that deserve such a thing?

When I pulled her out of the box, the first thing I noticed was that the chrome was pitted in spots.  She is well and truly scratched up and dirty!  She definitely needs a bit of TLC.   

Maria consists of 23 pieces and has a chrome covering.  Her number is 1992/10000.  Not too bad a year really.  I was well and truly in love with my husband by then.  So I think I'll keep her around for a tad bit longer, just as I did him.  

I've been sitting here trying to work out what the first piece is to remove and I finally got it. Her buttocks!  They are so caked with dirt though that I'll need to use a rubber spatula type thing to get it apart.  Looks like a job for a testing day.  No way!  I'm crazy, but not that much so.  Instead, I'll spend the evening disassembling and cleaning her as I did with Michelle. 

Once I got that bit out, I noticed that her 'testicles' are rusted.  Now this is rather peculiar as I didn't think chrome could rust.  But then I'm not well versed on this sort of thing so it is highly possible.    After I removed that first piece, she's an easy one to disassemble.  To be honest, it wasn't disassembly as much as it was falling apart.  There is a back covering that needs to be taken off, and then that's it.  She just fell into 20 some pieces.  

As with Michelle, I brought her into the bathroom and used one of the many soft toothbrushes I collect for just this purpose to get the grit out.   She cleaned up rather nicely, and I was rather pleased with my purchase.  

Reassembly was a bit of a pain, not difficulty, but I needed a bit more dexterity than I had this evening.  But now she's clean and dry and looking lovely on the shelf with Maria and Zoraida.  It's a nice trio I have there. Now to find the last 3!

I leave you with one last shot of my Berrocal pieces to date.