Marquetry is the process of creating designs from carefully fitted pieces of thin wood. The term “marquetry” comes from the French old word 'marqueter,' which means to inlay. Pieces of veneer are cut and fit together like a puzzle, to form a decorative flat surface image.

Marquetry is a craft known since ancient times. Ancient Egyptians had a similar process in which they filled recessed areas with small pieces of material. Examples of marquetry were found in Pompeii and Herculaneum which proves that the technique was advanced in those times. In the early 16th century, techniques of wood marquetry were developed in Antwerp and other Flemish centers of luxury cabinet-making.

In marquetry, different types of wood are used to create beautiful designs. The most commonly used wood types are oak, walnut, ash, wenge, maple, merbau, and mahogany. Often, materials such as marble, ivory, gems, and steel are used alongside wood, to create beautiful mixed patterns.

Craftsmen do marquetry by cutting, fitting and gluing pieces of wood into a pre-planned pattern. First, the artist draws the pattern that identifies the shapes that will form the overall image. The second step is to choose colors and types of wood, suitable for the design. After that, each piece of wood is cut according to the desired shape and then glued into the pattern. When the design is completed, the veneers are gently sanded so they are level with each other, and then a protective finish is applied. Finishing a single design can take hours, even days for the most complicated patterns.

Nowadays there are not many companies that provide furniture made with the help of marquetry. Luckily, at Mebex we have skilled craftsmen with years of experience in marquetry. The result? Beautiful pieces of furniture, with unique designs and patterns.