ébéniste

Louis XIII Cabinet

Mathieu Vathviolet wood, Solid Wood, Cabinet, Vacuum bonding, Louis XIII, Veneering - Marquetry, restoration, furniture restoration
Ebénisterie Mathieu VATH

A look back at a fascinating restoration project (at least for me). So fascinating, in fact, that I forgot to take photos at the beginning! This cabinet dates from the 17th century and features two drawers in the cornice and two doors in the upper section. The base consists of two drawers in the frieze supported by eight turned feet and a top resting on ball feet. Inside are twelve drawers and two doors concealing an interior theater, as well as eleven more drawers. The feet, along with […]

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Alexandre Morell's Boulle Cartel – Marquetry

Mathieu VathVacuum bonding, Marquetry, Boulle marquetry, furniture restoration
Ebénisterie Mathieu VATH

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 […]

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Alexandre Morell's Cartel Boulle – Continued

Mathieu VathMarquetry, Boulle marquetry, furniture restoration
Ebénisterie Mathieu VATH

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, […]

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Alexandre Morell's Boulle Cartel

Mathieu VathMarquetry, Boulle marquetry, furniture restoration
Ebénisterie Mathieu VATH

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 […]

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