Buying an Exquisite Handmade Jewelry Box
Creating beautiful objects has been in the nature of man from time immemorial. A jewelry box in marquetry is one such innovation where thin slivers of different colored wood are pieced together in a complex design. Precise cutting and gluing onto a surface is essential to get the entire box to look as one unit.
Also known as Moaragh, Marquetry is an evolution from the art of inlay. This method of decorating with wood began with the ancient Persian and Egyptian cultures, especially in their religious and royal décor. Over time, this art of beautifying objects percolated down to smaller items like jewelry boxes.
On close inspection you will see that a genuine Marquetry jewelry box does not use drawings or color of any sort. Specialized hand tools are used to create lines that will eventually be filled with thin slices of wood that have been cut out at precise angles with some prescribed tools. Once the picture is complete, sandpaper is run over it and it is finished off with a round of polish.
The precision that marquetry requires is achieved through several processes, the most popular of which is the ‘window’ method. Openings are created in the image with a traditional knife that creates the space needed for the pieces of veneer. The sheet from where the bit will be cut is then placed on this to get maximum accuracy in shape, grain, and depth and then cut out.
Marquetry comes in several versions where some use nothing more than two types of woods to create scroll-like designs known as seaweed. In another form, a number of woods as well as ivory are used to create panels that have birds and delicate creatures like butterflies to make foliate and arabesque, as they are known. A form made famous by Andre Charles Boulle, known as “Boulle” or “Buhl” makes use of brass and tortoiseshell.
With the number of variations around, you can see that Marquetry too has evolved. Khatamkari is a Persian adaptation of marquetry where surfaces are embellished with not just wood, but bone and metal as well, on a variety of surfaces. The smaller the surface decorated, the more expensive it will be, but you are assured of a unique piece.
Another style is wave marquetry where designs are abstract and fluid. Jewelry boxes will have designs made with veneers of Wenge, Lacewood and Tiger Maple as well as Bloodwood in some instances. This form is quite popular for a sophisticated look to jewelry boxes.
Hailed as painting in wood, marquetry draws parallel with piecing together a jigsaw puzzle. Despite the intense labor and the time involved, the final product will leave you breathless with amazement. The money spent on a genuine piece of marquetry on a jewelry box will be worth the investment and can be preserved for a life time.
This article was written by Ruth D’Souza Prabhu of MarqART Gift Shop. Our jewelry boxes feature evocative wood art designs, created from unique wood grain patterns and colors. A fine addition to your dressing table or as a gift. Please visit http://www.marqartgiftshop.com to browse & buy exotic jewelry boxes that will give you a lifetime of pleasure!