Marquetry
One of the most painstaking of the artisan restoration trades, marquetry requires an artistic hand and mind. In Paris, referred to as “painting with wood”, marquetry is a complete surface covering of decorative patterns assembled from veneer. Once the marquetry picture is complete, it is pressed over a piece of furniture made of a common wood like oak, beech or pine.
To produce the marquetry picture, a drawing of the desired pattern must be produced. From this, veneers of various colors, species and grains are picked to produce a realistically designed pattern. They are then cut-out by hand on the chevalet, with some pieces getting hot sand shading and engraving to enhance the shading effect. The finished parts are assembled like a jig-saw puzzle, being adhered to a substrate with an animal collagen glue.
Perry has trained at the world famous Ecollé Boulle in Paris, France and in a leading marquetry studio near the Bastille Monument. He has also engaged in long-time apprenticeships with expert marqueters in Belgium and Italy.
Services Include:
- Replacement of lost marquetry pieces
- Consolidation of marquetry and substrate
- Sympathetic veneer lifting with Japanned paper and neoprene glue
- Boulle marquetry restoration
- Patinization blending of repairs
- Sand shading and engraving
- Large selection of 18th century plane cut veneer species required for any Dutch, English, French, Italian or German restoration
- Custom marquetry panels designed