Creating Breathtaking Works of Art with American Marquetry

Decorating with wood is the best possible way to describe the art of Marquetry. Veneers are used to adorn the wooden surfaces of objects in an ornamental way. Multi-colored veneers are cut into different shapes and sizes and are then glued onto wooden surfaces in some decorative designs.

For centuries now, the art of Marquetry has been used to beautify wooden furniture and ornamental objects made of wood. This was a popular art form in Europe since the 17th century. It is this that inspired the American tradition of Marquetry.

In the 19th century German immigrants brought Marquetry to America. The mechanized wood industry stood in complete contrast to the art form. Beautiful pieces of art were created from simple hand tools and some glue.

It was close to the time of the Civil War that Americans began to take to Marquetry. The obsession with Marquetry then lasted for close to a century. If one examines the pieces that were created at this time, it is clear to see that locally available woods like cherry and maple were preferred.

Mahogany and other such exotic woods were imported. Americans took to enhancing pieces of Marquetry by staining wood for added color. The kind of patterns that were thus possible became quite limitless.

There was a huge range available that included simple geometric patterns and the more complex ones that resembled paintings. Steam powered saw mills came to America in 1830. Veneers could then be cut into as fine as 15 to 20 layers per inch of wood.

Wood workers however opted to continue doing things with their hands despite such developments. European styles are what Americans depended on when Marquetry first came to the country. But the elaborateness of design was not something the Americans included.

American Marquetry in the early days was propagated mainly by the cabinet makers of Boston and some other artisans who assisted them. Till the end of the World Wars, Gothic, Rococo, Renaissance as well as Louis the XV styles were popular. Post the World Wars, a lot of the Art Deco style was adopted.

Remy Vriz, in the 1980s created a technique known as piercing. Veneers were layered and then the topmost one sanded down to the level of its fiber being transparent. This technique was further developed by American Marquetry expert Patrice Lejeune.

On the side, Lejeune developed an art form called “sprinkling”. Waste from other projects such as sawdust and shavings were collected and used to color pieces of veneer, making them more dynamic. American Marquetry has developed quite a bit since its debut.

There are a couple of dedicated organizations that constantly work at innovating and promoting the classic and contemporary forms of Marquetry in the country. If you find this interesting, then you should get yourself some formal training in Marquetry.

This article was written by Ruth D’Souza Prabhu of MarqART Gift Shop. Our jewelry boxes feature evocative marqart wood designs, created from unique wood grain patterns and colors. A fine addition to your dressing table or as a gift. Please visit http://www.marqartgiftshop.com to browse & buy exotic jewelry boxes that will give you a lifetime of pleasure!