Happy New Year! We hope you’ve enjoyed the holidays. Our featured Recent Acquisition to start the year is a gorgeous table with marquetry flowers, roughly octagonal in shape with a beaded edge and brass accents on the base. The primary wood is mahogany. Words don’t do it justice. Additional photos will be available on our website in a few days.
Marquetry, the art of applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns, designs or pictures, had its inspiration in 16th century Florence. Marquetry elaborated upon Florentine techniques of inlaying solid marble slabs with designs formed of fitted marbles, jaspers and semi-precious stones. Techniques of wood marquetry were developed in Antwerp and other Flemish centers of luxury cabinet-making during the early 16th century. The craft was imported full-blown to France after the mid-17th century, where furniture of unprecedented luxury was made for Versailles and other royal residences of Louis XIV. Floral marquetry came into favor in Paris in the 1750’s, but marquetry also enjoyed periods of popularity in England, primarily London, and Germany. The table we now have available is likely American or English and probably dates from the late 19th century.
While you’ve probably surmised that we are closed today, we will be also be closed for the entire weekend, until Jan. 5th. January is when we switch to winter hours, so will be closed on Sundays through March. However, we will be open for the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday on Monday, Jan. 19th. If in doubt, please call before you come!
Finally, on Saturday, Jan. 24th, Bob will be teaming up with appraiser Todd Peenstra at the Carver Center for an appraisal event, like on Antiques Roadshow. We’ll post details on our Facebook page the week before the event, so “like” the page to ensure you see the specifics!
Bob & Lynne McCann