Restoring antique porcelain sculptures with missing parts requires a delicate balance of artistry and technical precision. Among the most common techniques is gap-filling with compatible materials like dental plaster or epoxy resins, which are carefully tinted to match the original glaze. For intricate designs, conservators often employ "inpainting" – a meticulous process of recreating lost patterns using reversible pigments. Traditional Chinese methods may involve "splinting" broken fragments with animal glue before reassembly, while European workshops frequently use Paraloid B-72 adhesive for its reversibility.

Advanced cases sometimes warrant 3D scanning and printing to recreate missing elements, though purists prefer hand-modeled replacements in mineral-based compounds. The Japanese kintsugi philosophy of celebrating repairs with gold lacquer has also gained popularity in contemporary conservation circles. Regardless of technique, ethical restorers always document interventions and use reversible materials to preserve the artwork's integrity for future study. Climate-controlled drying chambers and ultraviolet light tests have become standard for ensuring repaired sections age uniformly with antique surfaces.