colle de poisson Archives • Page 2 of 2 • Ébénisterie Mathieu Vath

Transitional dresser

June 24, 2020May 31, 2021 Mathieu VathVacuum bonding, convenient, conservation, Veneering - Marquetry, sawn veneer, polite, restoration, furniture restoration, Transitional style

Here is a very simple chest of drawers from eastern France, probably dating from the late 18th century. The front is slightly curved and the uprights are chamfered. It should be noted that the bronze mounts are probably not original. The frame is made of solid softwood, and the uprights are oak. The drawer bottoms are set in rebates and slide on the drawer fronts, which is typical of provincial work. A small peculiarity: this chest of drawers does not have top panels, the […]

Regency Cartel

June 18, 2020May 31, 2021 Mathieu VathBoulle marquetry, regency

A classic restoration was carried out on this Regency-era Boulle marquetry cartel clock in tortoiseshell. The missing brass pieces were replaced, and all the marquetry was re-glued using fish glue and vacuum infiltration. The entire piece was then varnished with a clear French polish, and the bronze mounts were cleaned with Panama wood.

Louis XVI commode stamped JA BRUNS

March 16, 2020May 31, 2021 Mathieu Vathamaranth, rosewood, Bronzes, oak, Vacuum bonding, convenient, graft, Marquetry, Veneering - Marquetry, sawn veneer, furniture restoration, Louis XVI style, French polish

This week marks the completion of the restoration of a Louis XVI commode stamped JA BRUNS. It is made of oak for all the structural elements, except for the side panels, drawer backs, drawer fronts, and the 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 made of boxwood and ebony, and there is a green-stained maple stringing forming the corners at […]

Label signed "Louis David Carré in Paris"«

February 22, 2020May 31, 2021 Mathieu VathBronzes, cartel, oak, Vacuum bonding, graft, Brass, Boulle marquetry, furniture restoration, French polish

After several weeks of work, the restoration of this clock is finally complete. It is a Louis XV period clock in brown tortoiseshell and brass marquetry, with rosewood restorations. The dial is by Louis David Carré, nephew of Jullien le Roy, who became a master craftsman on December 31, 1748. Lodged at the Louvre from 1744, he was elected a juror in 1775. The greatest treasure of this clock lies in its bronze mounts. They are truly magnificent, and above all, they are in very good condition. There is only […]

Louis XVI style sewing box

January 18, 2020May 31, 2021 Mathieu Vathmahogany, rosewood, graft, Napoleon III, Veneering - Marquetry, restoration, furniture restoration, Louis XVI style, 19th century

This sewing box dates from the Napoleon III period. The frame is made of softwood. The veneer is composed of Rio rosewood, mahogany for the interior, and a green-stained boxwood and maple inlay. The great quality of this box is that the lid hasn't warped. This is often the major problem with this type of furniture, as people forget to lock them, causing the wood to warp. It then becomes very difficult to find the "trick" to ensure the box stays closed.

Louis XVI style table

January 4, 2020May 31, 2021 Mathieu Vathmahogany, rosewood, graft, Marquetry, Veneering - Marquetry, restoration, furniture restoration, Louis XVI style

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 […]

Louis XV slant-front desk (After restoration)

December 19, 2019May 31, 2021 Mathieu Vathrosewood, violet wood, Bronzes, donkey's back desk, Veneering - Marquetry, restoration, furniture restoration, French polish

A while ago I told you about this desk that was being restored. Well, here it is finished. The varnishing process took three weeks. This allowed enough time for the varnish to set properly, in order to achieve the best possible result. https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/ So here are some before and after photos.

Louis XV slant-front desk

November 29, 2019May 31, 2021 Mathieu Vathrosewood, violet wood, Bronzes, donkey's back desk, oak, graft, Veneering - Marquetry, sawn veneer, restoration, furniture restoration, 17th century

The restoration of a lovely slant-front desk, or as Riesener calls it in his memoirs, a "tomb-shaped secretary," began two weeks ago. With the restoration phase complete and the varnishing underway, I'm taking a moment to provide a brief summary of the project. The desk's frame is made of oak and fir, veneered with rosewood and violet wood, and the drop-front features floral marquetry of boxwood, natural and stained maple, and hornbeam. It includes a large drawer […]

Corner cabinet in Boulle marquetry from the Napoleon III period

November 20, 2019May 31, 2021 Mathieu VathBronzes, Vacuum bonding, corner, graft, Brass, Boulle marquetry, Napoleon III, Uncategorized, furniture restoration, French polish

A classic restoration of Boulle marquetry. This involved rehydrating the old glue through infiltration, crafting and gluing the missing brass pieces, and reconstructing the base, which was in poor condition but not beyond repair. The bronze mounts were cleaned and finished with a clear French polish. Proof that appearances can be deceiving. Even a piece of furniture in a severely deteriorated state can regain its former beauty.

Napoleon III planter and Louis XVI chest of drawers

June 13, 2019May 31, 2021 Mathieu Vathrosewood, violet wood, chiffonier, Vacuum bonding, planter, Marquetry, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, French polish

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.

Louis XV commode stamped JC Ellaume

June 10, 2019May 31, 2021 Mathieu Vathrosewood, Vacuum bonding, convenient, Louis XV, Marquetry, Veneering - Marquetry

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, also sometimes written as Allaume, received his master craftsmanship in Paris on November 6, 1754. Many pieces of furniture bearing his stamp are known. These are mostly Louis XV commodes. It was in his workshop on Rue Traversière that he produced numerous high-quality pieces of furniture for over thirty years, […]

Alexandre Morell's Boulle Cartel – Marquetry

May 15, 2019May 31, 2021 Mathieu VathVacuum bonding, Marquetry, Boulle marquetry, furniture restoration

After reattaching the structure, removing the brass, cleaning up any remaining animal glue, and removing any residue of superglue and neoprene adhesive, the next step is cutting out the new pieces of brass and tortoiseshell to fill the gaps. So, as usual, I take an impression of the missing piece. Then I glue this piece of paper onto a brass plate, which is itself glued with fish glue to a piece of 4mm plywood. This makes the brass plate easier to cut. To retrieve […]

Alexandre Morell's Boulle Cartel

May 2, 2019May 31, 2021 Mathieu VathMarquetry, Boulle marquetry, furniture restoration

Here is my first client, patient… well, whatever you want to call him. It's a Boulle marquetry cartel clock in brown tortoiseshell, ebony, and brass. As you can see in the following photos, it's not in very good condition. There are many missing brass pieces, and the remaining brass is peeling off everywhere. At first glance, it's always difficult to precisely date a Boulle cartel clock: this one doesn't have a maker's mark. However, it does have corkscrew screws (typical of the 18th century […]