Marqart Wood Boxes and Various Veneers Used in Marquetry
Marquetry is a traditional art of forming decorative patterns from thin pieces of wood veneers. It became very popular in the 17th century. The artisans were very skilled and their designs were very creative. Objects created from marquetry were quite expensive and ordinary people could not afford them.
There is a variety of veneers used in the creation of marquetry. They are classified according to the type of wood used and they are priced accordingly as well. Depending on the wood, veneers are cut and designed with different and exclusive patterns.
Materials like bone, ivory, turtle shells, brass, colored straw, and mother of pearl are used on top of the veneers. They are used to create amazing inlay and wonderful designs in marquetry. Beautiful inlay work is quite intricate that it takes time and effort to finish them.
Shades of veneers vary – light wood veneers, medium wood veneers, dark wood veneers, soft wood veneers, and hard wood veneers. The wood that they use is being classified as less valuable and valuable and they are priced accordingly. Marquetarians are quite particular about the type of wood they use in their products and some have special preferences.
Mahogany, rose, burl walnut, fire side walnut, and circassian walnut are considered valuable types of wood. Since each of these types of wood has varying grains, they are sawed in different manners. The marquetry work done on these woods are very exotic making them very expensive.
Categorized as less valuable include elm, pine, oak, and spruce. Hard and soft wood veneers are being used in products more often. If a wood has straight grains, it is referred to as soft wood. Examples include pine and the pale knotted wood.
The hard type of wood has grains which are closer and the wood itself is usually dense. Examples are rose wood and maple wood. Hard wood also has coarser grains. Hard wood is mostly used in making furniture.
Marquetarians used a variety of tools in marquetry – fret saw, knives, scalpels, blades, and more modern ones use laser tools. Techniques have advanced and more modern tools and machines are now common to making marquetry art. Many traditional tools used before have also undergone major improvements.
Today, they use the double bevel marquetry technique. With a scroll saw, the table is tilted at a particular angle in order to achieve this technique. Another art, parquetry, uses straight lines and geometrical patterns. The Boulle technique is done by cutting all the elements of the pattern while the background is done simultaneously.
The classic method, however, involves creating the patterns separately without the background. The wood used in creating these designs are specially chosen. Burl wood is the common type used for this purpose.
In the past, the hammering veneering method was used to cut veneers. The same tools were used for different types of wood but the way they are handled vary according to the desired designs.
Today, there is a technique called braided wood veneering. The veneer used can either be matt finished or laminated. Marquetry work done with these types of veneers can be very expensive.
If you love marquetry, there are lots of guides that can teach you how to create your designs. Tools can be purchased and you can take a look at some books for great ideas. There are museums that showcase amazing marquetry work.
You can go ahead and embellish your wooden box with marquetry designs or you can purchase one that’s been handcrafted.
This article was written by Rachael Celia Berlie and Oliver Ocampo of MarqART Gift Shop. Our wood designs are original works of art, no two creations are the same. Each wood shown has its own unique wood grain pattern and color. MarqART comes from combining the words marquetry (wood inlay) + Art (a creation of beauty) an apt name for our products. A fine addition to your dressing table or as a gift. Please visit http://www.marqartgiftshop.com to browse & buy marqart wood boxes that will give you a lifetime of pleasure!
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