Marquetry

The art and craft of marquetry is a form of picturesque decoration achieved by cutting patterns, or pictures, from thin wood veneer, then gluing it to a base of suitable material. A base may be a piece of furniture, box, or board, which, when decorated with marquetry, can become a picture. Little is known of marquetry until the 13th Century when many of the craftsmen and their work was generally confined to the decoration of
church furniture, choir stalls, cupboards and paneling. Marquetry activity centered, therefore, in Europe, particularly in Italy, France, Germany and Holland.