milk-based red paint

From: Karen
Date: 19 May 1999
Time: 16:12:44
Remote Name: 208.236.124.130

Comments

I have recently purchased my first antique. It is a rocking chair which was apparently constructed in the mid- 19th century. It is currently painted with two layers of ugly white paint. There are a coupld of places where the white has chipped away, showing what the seller called "milk-based red paint". Is the red paint important to keep? If so, how do I remove the white without damaging the red and how much of the red should I keep? Thanks in advance for your help.