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How
Our Marquetry Pictures Are Created Marquetry
is an ancient art that involves creating images—pictures or designs—in wood
by carefully cutting pieces of veneer and placing them within the picture.
The images can be incorporated into furniture, used to decorate accessories such as jewelry boxes, or framed and hung on the wall. We
use a table type fret saw adapted by local marquetarian John Eifler to cut the
pieces of veneer according to a pattern, which is created from a photograph or
drawing. We use the double-bevel
technique to cut pieces of veneer that will fit together tightly and without
gaps. In this technique, two layers
of veneer are cut at the same time, with the saw blade at an angle so that one
piece of veneer fits into the void left in the other piece. We
select veneers based on the color, grain, and texture needed to achieve the
desired effect. An extensive
palette of wood veneers is available to marquetarians today.
Veneers are made from hundreds of different kinds of trees, and different
methods of cutting the veneers yield even more variations. The pieces of veneer are glued together to make the picture, which is then mounted on a rigid base. The picture is sanded smooth and a finish is applied. On many pictures, we strive for a natural finish that preserves the beauty of the wood and tempts the observer to touch it. We apply a light coating of lacquer and rub it into the grain of the wood, then apply several coats of paste wax. On other pictures, we apply multiple coats of lacquer to achieve a more polished finish. Care
of Marquetry Pictures Over
a period of time, exposure to light causes the color of woods to change.
As with most artwork, to preserve the original colors of a marquetry
picture, it is best to hang it in a place with subdued lighting, away from
direct sunlight. If
the finish on the picture becomes dull or smudgy from touching, polishing it
with a soft cloth, as you would furniture with a wax finish, should restore the
smooth surface. |
