Restoration. Conservation. Creation
Creation of a compass rose in 8mm solid wood, veneered onto 8mm plywood. It is composed of maple, dark walnut, and sipo for the rose itself; cherry for the background; and sapele, light walnut, and maple for the frieze and cardinal points. It will be integrated into a solid walnut parquet floor; unfortunately, I am not doing the installation… I hope to be able to see and show you the final result soon.
The brief was to create a multi-movement secret box inspired by Japanese boxes but with French-style marquetry. This box comprises three movements to access the secret drawer and a spring-loaded button concealed beneath the veneer that allows the drawer to be ejected. For the form and marquetry, I drew inspiration from the traveling secretary attributed to Jean-François Oeben. The geometric shapes and colors closely correspond to what this cabinetmaker […]
I crafted the frame from solid walnut, the panels from poplar, and the doors from plywood. I researched various marquetry patterns, drawing heavily on the books on marquetry by Pierre Ramond—essential references and bedside books on the subject. For the interior drawer decorations, I was inspired by the cupids depicted on J.H. 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.
