Masterpieces of marquetry. From the beginnings to Louis XIV (volume 1)

Since the publication of the ground-breaking Marquetry written by Pierre Ramond, the world's foremost authority, and considered by art historians and craftsmen alike the "bible" of the craft no other book has made significant contributions to the art of "painting" with wood. Now, with the three volumes that comprise Masterpieces of Marquetry, Pierre Ramond brings the results of his continued studies to novice and advanced marqueters, collectors, restorers, art historians, and enthusiasts of this ancient art that continues to find expression among craftsmen today. In Volume I: From the Beginnings to Louis XIV, Ramond begins his examination of the designs and techniques using natural or stained wood veneers and animal materials (tortoiseshell, bone, horn, mother-of-pearl, ivory, shark skin, etc.) to create beautiful and highly sought-after marquetry compositions on pieces of furniture. Raymond's studies demonstrate important connections, such as the relationship among pieces of furniture (i.e., their origin; the specific techniques of their execution, which sometimes demonstrate a common maker) now in major museums and pri¬vate collections. The marquetry panels on the stand for the coffers by André-Charles Boulle in the J. Paul Getty Museum (page 103), for example, are the counterparts of the stands for a pair of cabinets in the Musée du Louvre (page 109), cut by the same hand. From ancient times to the present, here is the first comprehensive survey of the art of marquetry and a careful selection of marquetry masterpieces their history, tools, and techniques, reproduction, and restoration by some of the greatest cabinetmakers and marqueters in the world.