ébénisterie Archives • Ébénisterie Mathieu Vath

Mahogany games table, late 18th – early 19th century

January 10, 2021October 27, 2026 Mathieu Vathmahogany, Directorate, Louis XVI, Veneering - Marquetry, furniture restoration, games table, French polish, 19th century, 18th century

96 x D 47.5 x H 74 cm. Open: 96 x 95.5 cm. Restoration of a folding games table, veneered in burr mahogany commonly known as Cuban mahogany. According to the recent book "L'essence du bois" (The Essence of Wood) by Patrick George, Emmanuel Maurin, and Marie-Christine Trouy-Jacquemet, it would be more accurate to call it Saint-Domingue mahogany. The base is veneered in solid oak, and the top in poplar. The moldings are solid mahogany. The table rests on tapered legs ending in bronze casters. Under the […]

Louis XIII Cabinet

September 4, 2019October 27, 2026 Mathieu Vathviolet wood, Solid Wood, Cabinet, Vacuum bonding, Louis XIII, Veneering - Marquetry, restoration, furniture restoration

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. Its upper section has two drawers in the cornice and two doors. The base features two drawers in the frieze, supported by eight turned feet, and a top on ball feet. Inside, there are twelve drawers and two doors, which conceal a theater and eleven more drawers. The feet and moldings are made of solid pear wood. The rest of the […]

Alexandre Morell's Boulle Cartel – Marquetry

May 15, 2019October 27, 2026 Mathieu VathVacuum bonding, Marquetry, Boulle marquetry, furniture restoration

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: […]

Alexandre Morell's Cartel Boulle – Continued

May 8, 2019October 27, 2026 Mathieu VathMarquetry, Boulle marquetry, furniture restoration

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, […]

Tool cabinet – End

April 3, 2019October 27, 2026 Mathieu VathCopy of an old, Creation, Marquetry

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 […]

Tool cabinet – Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam

March 6, 2019October 27, 2026 Mathieu VathCopy of an old, Marquetry, Uncategorized

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 […]