Marquetry and Intarsia in Furniture

Terms

Both marquetry and intarsia are forms of decorative inlay. When creating marquetry, wood veneer is laid on top of the solid wood. The artistic trade consists of puzzling together differently-shaped pieces of veneer that are made from various types of wood (this also means that they have different colours) in such a way that the base material is no longer dominantly present. This way, a true piece of art is created. When it comes to intarsia, wood or a different material is laid into the piece of furniture’s solid wood. The word ‘intarsia’ comes from the Latin word intersere, which means insert and the Italian word tarsia, which means inlay.

Floral marquetry and geometrical motifs

In 17th century Holland, floral marquetry was often applied when decorating furniture. The detailed, floral motifs in the flower marquetries show great precision and artistry. In the category Antique Side-Tables, stunning floral marquetries can be discovered in table Antionette, side-table Cathérine and table Gallé. Marquetry work can also result in wonderful geometrical patterns. This, among others, is clearly visible in pier-table Lyric, pier-table Lyrical, table with tray Trivia, Baroque tea table, Lyre coffee table and the Swan table.

Intarsia

Subtle, but highly decorative, details of intarsia show themselves in side-table Mahogany and Art Deco side-table Jean. Armchair Nice and Office Chair also have beautiful intarsia decorations. During the Art Deco period, Intarsia was particularly used to decorate furniture. Geometrical lines and shapes were strongly represented then. Other Art Deco furniture with intarsia can be found on www.artdecowebstore.com, in the category Furniture. Also have a look in the category Furniture of this website to view antique and classic pieces of furniture.