Restoration. Conservation. Creation
Restoration of a solid walnut table with marquetry decoration in the "architectural whims" and "wild grass" styles. It comes from the Austrian Tyrol and dates from the mid-17th century. It rests on four twisted legs adorned with flattened balls. An X-shaped stretcher connects these legs. A wide drawer opens in the front, beneath a rectangular top. The richly inlaid top is framed by a rosewood border. This is followed by bands delimited by wide oak stringing...
Restoration of a small table cabinet (height 14.3 cm, width 17.3 cm, depth 13 cm), likely a traveling model. It is made of solid wood, with intarsia decoration on all sides. A drop-front conceals eight drawers; in fact, the bottom drawer simulates two. Its composition is very rich, combining eight different wood species. The frame is made of fir, and cherry for the visible parts. Large central panels of sycamore maple are inlaid. Around these, bands of plum wood frame them, then a fillet of […]
Restoration of an English cabinet from the late 17th or early 18th century, veneered in walnut and maple. It features the distinctive free-flowing arabesque marquetry known as seaweed marquetry because it evokes the seaweed found on the seabed. Seaweed marquetry is traditionally associated with Dutch and Flemish cabinetmakers of the second half of the 17th century, particularly Gerrit Jensen. Indeed, in 1689, William III of Orange ascended the English throne with his cabinetmakers. Later, religious persecutions on the continent brought others to England. […]
Restoration of a Louis XVI secretary desk stamped by Charles Topino. Its form is typical of Topino, and its frame is made of oak and softwood. The front opens with a drawer and a drop-front covered in red leather and tooled in gold. Behind the drop-front, two compartments and four drawers veneered in rosewood are revealed. Below, two marquetry doors depicting vases and draperies on a tobacco ground conceal a shelf. The drop-front itself features musical instruments, ribbons, and foliage, also on a tobacco ground. Around this, […]
Restoration of an eight-legged desk, commonly known as a "Mazarin" desk, from the Louis XIV period, late/early 17th century. Its frame is made of solid pear and softwood, with pear wood sides and drawer bottoms. It features two side cabinets, each with three drawers, and a central drawer above a middle cabinet with rounded edges. Two X-shaped stretchers connect the uprights and the eight console-like legs. The drawers are inlaid with pewter and blackened pear wood, depicting a late 17th-century design. The sides, as well as […]
Restoration of a Louis XV corner cabinet in marquetry of various woods: maple, hornbeam, boxwood, and holly. Apart from the green of the leaves, the colors of some of the flowers and ribbons have faded. The marquetry stands out against a rosewood background, framed by a boxwood border and a rosewood frieze. Finally, the solid oak frame is assembled with dovetail joints. Condition report: As the photos show, the varnish was heavily sun-faded. Furthermore, the glues used for the marquetry on the doors were severely dehydrated, and one piece was missing.
Here is a very pretty Louis XVI period commode, veneered in rosewood and amaranth, with marquetry of boxwood, pearwood, maple, hornbeam, walnut, blackened pearwood, lemonwood… It is built of oak and softwood. It is stamped twice with the mark of Jean-Baptiste II TUART. But its maker is probably Jean LAPIE. Jean-Baptiste II Tuart came from a dynasty of Parisian cabinetmakers and merchants. His father, Jean-Baptiste I, obtained his master craftsman's certificate in 1741 and remained active until around 1760. Born around 1720, Jean-Baptiste II was not a master cabinetmaker, but a master woodworker […]
A few years ago, I had the pleasure of restoring this magnificent Transition period (1780) roll-top desk. Its frame is made of oak and fir. Most notably, it is veneered with rosewood, arranged in a butterfly pattern on the fall front. Around this, a delicate border of boxwood and green-stained hornbeam stringing is edged with a narrow band of amaranth. The back is veneered in satinwood. Finally, the central marquetry, on a tobacco-stained sycamore background, depicts musical instruments. Two doves are flying above, a musical score within […]
The brief: to create a multi-moving secret box, inspired by Japanese boxes, but with French-style marquetry. Three movements reveal the secret drawer. A spring-loaded button, hidden beneath the veneer, then ejects it. For the shape and marquetry, I drew inspiration from the traveling secretary attributed to Jean-François Oeben. The geometric forms and colors closely resemble what this cabinetmaker might have used. The box's structure is made of solid beech, with ash wood joints. […]
This week marks the completion of the restoration of a Louis XVI commode stamped JA BRUNS. Its frame is oak, except for the side panels, backs, drawer fronts, and two drawer bottoms, which are made of softwood. It is veneered with rosewood in a butterfly pattern and amaranth for the edges. The false fluting is in boxwood and ebony. A green-stained maple fillet outlines the Greek key corners. A few satinwood additions from previous restorations are visible. The marble top is Sainte-Anne gray. This commode […]
Here are some images of the restoration of a secretary desk stamped by Pierre Roussel (1723-1782). Having become a master cabinetmaker in 1745, Pierre Roussel set up shop on Rue de Charenton, in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, under the sign "L'Image de Saint Pierre" (The Image of Saint Peter). Thanks to his skills as a cabinetmaker and especially as an exceptional marquetry artist, he quickly gained a great reputation. In 1762, he became a sworn member of his guild. By 1767, he was considered one of the best cabinetmakers of his time. Highly regarded by his colleagues, he became a representative of the cabinetmakers' guild in 1777 and then syndic two […]
To kick off the new year, I'm excited to present my new project. I'm embarking on a replica of this box attributed to André Charles Boulle. You'll be able to follow the progress, and even come see it in person: it will be my main subject for marquetry work at shows and events in the coming years. Yes, I'm talking about several years, because it's an extremely lengthy process. Choosing the Woods: First, I had to find and select the woods for the marquetry. The background […]
Here is a Louis XVI style table, which is probably an early 20th-century piece. It was likely made in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, or perhaps at the École Boulle. I have seen apprentice furniture of this quality made by students during their training. Its frame is oak, while the veneer is rosewood and mahogany with a black inlay. The restoration was straightforward, apart from a lack of rosewood in the marquetry […]
A look back at the restoration of a 17th-century Louis XIII table. It's made of solid walnut, veneered with walnut, ebony, ivory, and boxwood. It had spent a long time in an attic, and its top unfortunately suffered considerably. Much of the veneer was missing. I first removed what little veneer remained. It was very easy: it was completely detached. All I had to do was lift it with a thin blade and it would come right off. I then re-glued the top, adding material where the […]
A month ago, a lovely Transition-style commode arrived at the workshop. It reminds me of the work of the cabinetmaker Charles Topino (circa 1742-1803) – who received his master craftsman's certificate on July 4, 1773. But it doesn't bear his stamp, nor any other for that matter. Proof that a piece of high-quality furniture doesn't need a stamp. Its marquetry could very well have come from Topino's workshop. He did, in fact, sell marquetry panels to haberdashers and his colleagues, who used them to adorn their furniture. This commode could therefore be inspired by Topino […]
Here is a corner cabinet stamped by Jean-Mathieu Chevallier. It is made of solid oak, veneered with rosewood and violet wood, with a boxwood inlay. Jean-Mathieu Chevallier was already established on Rue de Grenelle, under the sign of "La Croix Chevallier," when he received his master craftsman's certificate in 1743. He subsequently expanded his business considerably. He was notably in business with André-Charles Boulle, one of the sons of the famous cabinetmaker. Furthermore, he participated in furnishing the Hôtel du Duc de Talmont and the Château de […]
This week, two pieces of furniture left the workshop: a Napoleon III jardinière in rosewood veneer and a Louis XVI chiffonier in rosewood and violet wood veneer. If this piece had seven drawers, it would have been called a "semainier" (weekly chest of drawers). Here are some photos of their restoration.
Restoration of a Louis XV period commode stamped JC Ellaume. This commode is veneered in rosewood and palisander with floral marquetry on the drawer fronts. The frame is made of oak and softwood. Jean-Charles Ellaume, whose name is also spelled Allaume, became a master craftsman in Paris on November 6, 1754. Many pieces of furniture bearing his stamp are known, mostly Louis XV commodes. For over thirty years, in his workshop on Rue Traversière, he produced numerous high-quality pieces. These are primarily […]
This week, we're revisiting the restoration of a Louis XIV period commode, a commode known as a Mazarine commode. But where does the name "Mazarine" come from? Well, it seems that the first example was made for the famous Mazarine Library, quite simply. The illustrious creator of the commode was none other than André-Charles Boulle himself. In 1708, for Louis XIV's bedroom at Trianon, he revolutionized a type of furniture: the commode. It owes its name to its practical, "commode" shape, compared to the chests that were so common at the time. Now on display at Versailles, the two […]
After several hours of cutting, gluing, re-gluing, and cleaning the surfaces, we finally reach the finishing stage. I chose to varnish this cartel clock with a French polish. This finish enhances the marquetry, protects it, and remains easily reversible, like all my work. I always use a clear shellac varnish, on wood as well as other materials. The varnishing process is difficult to explain: only hours and hours of practice allow you to acquire all the secrets of this traditional technique. Once […]
Here is an article that appeared in Le Perche on Wednesday, May 15, 2019.
I reattached the structure, removed the brass, cleaned up the remaining animal glue, and eliminated the traces of superglue and neoprene adhesive. Next came cutting the new pieces of brass and tortoiseshell to fill the gaps. So, as usual, I took an impression of the missing piece. I then glued this paper onto a brass plate, which was itself glued with fish glue to a 4mm plywood base. This made the plate easier to cut. Retrieving the brass piece is simple: […]
Once the various structural elements were glued back together, I tackled the tortoiseshell and brass marquetry. As you'll see, on this clock it's in very, very bad condition; practically nothing is holding. So, all the brass has to be removed. The tortoiseshell, however, is holding well; it's only partially detached. The first step in restoring this marquetry is therefore to remove and set aside each brass element. The second is to clean off the old glue, […]
Here is my first client, or patient… whichever you prefer. It's a Boulle marquetry cartel clock in brown tortoiseshell, ebony, and brass. As the photos show, it's not in very good condition. A lot of the brass is missing, and what remains is peeling off everywhere. At first glance, it's always difficult to precisely date a Boulle cartel clock. Moreover, this one doesn't bear a maker's mark. On the other hand, it has corkscrew screws, typical of the 18th century, and few visible tool marks. Yet, I had a hunch it was a copy […]
And there you have it, it's finished and ready to use. All the tools are in their proper place. All that's left is to find bronze fittings for the handles and keyhole escutcheons. For the finishing technique, I used the same one applied to furniture of that period: polishing. I first scraped the surface, then sanded it with 150-grit sandpaper. Next, I applied Venetian tripoli mixed with olive oil using a piece […]
For these marquetry designs, I consulted Pierre Ramond's book, "André-Charles Boulle, Cabinetmaker, Chaser, and Marquetry Maker to the King." I used the marquetry drawings from the Boulle workshop's cabinet (circa 1715-1720). However, I removed the birds and the butterfly to simplify the design. Furthermore, I partially used the "Boulle" method for the acanthus leaves and the vase. Finally, for the flower bouquets, I chose the technique of painting on wood.
Here are some photos of the marquetry on the tool cabinet. For the corner pieces, I was inspired by those on a table by Pierre Gole, a predecessor and major influence of André-Charles Boulle. For this cabinet, I needed to make 16 corner pieces. So, to save time, I decided to use the Boulle marquetry technique. I made four bundles of different colored woods to obtain four different marquetry designs from a single cut. Therefore, there are four identical designs, but with different flower colors. Then, […]
Here are some pictures of the creation of the birds for the marquetry on the lower doors. I cut them out using a marquetry easel, then inserted them into a background of blackened pear wood. The branches are made of walnut.
I indulged myself with this marquetry project; I had always wanted to recreate this famous marquetry fresco. This allowed me to revisit David Roentgen's "mosaic marquetry" technique. I created a pack with a hornbeam leaf, a sycamore maple leaf, and a pear leaf to make the figures, as pear wood is the best for reproducing skin tones. To tint the background, I dipped it in different baths to produce this effect of […]
With this tool cabinet, I wanted to explore and put into practice several avenues I was researching. One of them was to tackle the marquetry technique of a famous 18th-century cabinetmaker, David Roentgen. This "mosaic marquetry" involves cutting a single sheet of veneer using a conical saw. Each piece is then colored by dipping it in a chosen dye. However, there were two difficulties: the conical sawing, which is tricky on 0.6 mm veneer, and the dyeing of the wood. When I make […]
I crafted the frame from solid walnut, the panels from poplar, and the doors from plywood. Then, research guided me in choosing the various marquetry motifs. Indeed, Pierre Ramond's books on marquetry, veritable bibles on the subject, greatly inspired me. Furthermore, for the decoration of the interior drawers, I drew inspiration from the "Loves" on Jean-Henri Riesener's "Table of the Muses.".
Since the workshop is under renovation, today I'll begin describing the various stages involved in making this tool cabinet. The idea came to me while looking for a way to store all my tools in a single piece of furniture. For the style, I had recently restored a Masarine commode in the style of the HACHE family in Grenoble. When I embark on a personal furniture project, I like to explore new techniques. And I had never before tackled the Louis XIV/Regency style.
