Marquetry is an old and beautiful art form where wood pieces are used to create pictures/designs. These woods are meticulously cut and assembled in a single place like an image puzzle on surfaces such as furniture walls, or floors.
The term marquetry comes from the French word “marqueter,” meaning to inlay or set pieces into a surface to construct historical figures on tables & chairs.
The History of Marquetry
Marquetry Etymology For thousands of years The ancient Egyptians were some of the first to inlay intricate designs on their furniture and again later by the Romans who used small wood and ivory pieces.
Marquetry got its particular trained with the features of mass in between 16th and also 17th century Europe. This was a period where the kings and queens would use intricate marquetry designs in their palaces, made by excellent craftsmen who put all of this day perfecting it.
How Marquetry is Made
Marquetry as a craft is skillful, precise, and time-consuming. First, the image or pattern is designed. This design is made on paper first, then the artist knows where each piece of wood should go.
Choosing the Wood
After the design is processed, next up, he will pick which wood to use. Wood has a variety of colors and grains, which are lines and patterns you see on the surface.
Once the artist plans the artwork, she selects wood that most embodies the colors and hues necessary to bring it into reality. For instance, some wood could be akin to light brown with black wavy lines, and yet another cherry might appear dark chocolate dark rainy evening at twilight.
Cutting the Wood
The artist then pieces these together into jigsaw-like forms by machining the wood. For a well fit, there has to be 0 clearance between them everything is cut very precisely and accurately. FRETSAW – a small fine saw, often used by artists to cut the wood into shapes needed.
Assembling the Design
After all of the pieces are cut, they are set on the end where you will want to decorate — a table or box for example. Using the previous design drawing as a guide, I glue down each piece one at a time.
The quality control team chips in once all the bits have been assembled while sanding down rough spots to make sure that the surface is as smooth and flat as possible.
Engraving or shaping adds more information to the wood material at times. After all the rough edges are resolved the entire surface is polished to get a beautiful shine and prevent it from any kind of Damage.
Creating Pictures with Wood
The most visually exciting thing about marquetry is how it can be used to make pictures that are almost like painted but rather than paint, the artist uses different types of wood.
The artist can employ differently-colored wood and lay pieces of it in just the right angles to give the appearance that more depth and shading are present. The artist, for instance, would either tilt it or use a darker piece of wood to create a shadow on its surface.
Different Styles of Marquetry
Various marquetry styles, each with its specific appearance. Now some artists create the kind of images almost exactly as you describe a photo of like the forest with trees, animals, and rivers.
Some make it abstract whereas some try to mimic certain stuff out of her creative mind. Although this is not necessary, marquetry traditionally has been used in cultures as a story-telling way of expression by using wood pieces to signify different parts of the story.
Preserving Traditions
More than portraying pretty pictures, Marquetry art represents tradition. Marquetry is one of many time-honored techniques that have been handed down between generations, with skilled craftsmen passing on tricks and tips to their apprentices.
Even in the 20th and 21st centuries, there are still workshops doing marquetry by hand as it was done hundreds of years ago (most notably by Israel Hemsi who is based out of France).
The wood is carefully selected for quality and beauty often using woods only found on the grounds of these workshops, making each marquetry a piece of art in its own right.
Modern Marquetry
In recent years marquetry has seen a revival, with contemporary artists finding new life in this age-old craft. An artist may work marquetry with some other form of art, painting, or sculpture to make something completely fresh.
Some use plywood to add beauty with marquetry work, others take everyday objects and create something new via mosaic tile. It just goes to illustrate the broad use marquetry can lend itself to.
How to Try Marquetry Yourself
Want to dabble in marquetry yourself? There are kits available for Web shopping that can make it a more accessible proposition. Most include pre-cut pieces of wood, a pattern, and instructions.
With a little bit of glue, some patience, and an unsteady hand! It is a great way to explore paper art and make something beautiful while having fun.
The Beauty of Marquetry
Marquetry is more than just a handcraft; it has to do with transforming pieces of wood into something spectacular. Because of the careful selection and cutting process, an artist can arrange pieces to form images that are as magnificent or even more so than any painting. Landscape, portrait, or abstract are painted in one-off marquetry motifs made of love and craftsmanship.
Conclusion
So, the next time you see a beautiful wooden article with an image printed on it — check out if that is UV flatbed printing in place for your reference. You could well see this and be looking at a marquetry panel, where all you think is Wow; I did not know that took over 300sidestitched veneer flitches. The elegance and expertise with which marquetry is designed deserve honor from all genres of life.