WOODCARVING & ACCESSORIES

Marqart Wood Boxes and Different Wood 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 are various types of veneers used in the crafting of marquetry products. Veneers are classified and priced depending on the type of wood being used. 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.

One can find light wood veneers, medium wood veneers, soft wood veneers, hard wood veneers, and even dark wood veneers. The wood that they use is being classified as less valuable and valuable and they are priced accordingly. Marquetarians are very particular about the type of wood they work with and in some cases they choose only wood veneers that they particularly like.

The roster of valuable types of wood include mahogany, rose, burl walnut, fire side walnut, and circassian walnut. Since each of these types of wood has varying grains, they are sawed in different manners. The marquetry work done on them is quite elegant that’s why they are sold at higher prices.

Categorized as less valuable include elm, pine, oak, and spruce. Hard and soft wood veneers are used a lot. Soft wood refers to wood which has straight grains. Pine and the pale knotted wood are good examples.

Hard wood is usually dense and the grains are closer to each other. Examples are rose wood and maple wood. Hard wood also has coarser grains. Hard wood is mostly used in making furniture.

Tools utilized for marquetry include the fret saw, knives, scalpels, various types of blades, and more modern 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. Parquetry is another art, but this uses straight linear and geometrical patterns. The Boulle technique is done by cutting all the elements of the pattern while the background is done simultaneously.

The classic technique is done with patterns created separately from the background. Wood used in creating these designs are carefully chosen. Burl wood is commonly 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. Museums also display a lot of exquisite marquetry work.

Go ahead and embellish your wooden box with exotic marquetry designs or you can also buy one that’s already crafted.

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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