There is something mysterious about a finished piece of furniture that contains well- executed marquetry. You peer in at the detail and marvel at the skill of the maker, to a novice that level of expertise seems unachievable. This book succeeds in de-mystifying the process in a series of step-by-step projects.

Metcalfe and Apps have set the book out in ‘progressive educational order‘. It begins with a comprehensive chapter on equipment, the pros and cons of particular materials, scalpel and cutting techniques and how to make some essential jigs. There is a great section on veneer and how it is cut, I found this very interesting and gives you a good understanding of your material.

As the book progresses there is a sense of secrets being revealed, concepts such as ‘Sandshading’ are explained. This is a technique of scorching veneer to create shading in an image, it features commonly in the fans, shells and other motifs seen in 18th century English and French Cabinetry.

Chapter two is a series of tutorials that is well laid out and photographed. It begins with some history of the most famous designs and then moves into the tutorials. These are detailed and feature projects made using the different methods of marquetry including the template, the window and the fretsaw methods.

The book then progresses to Parquetry and outlines the difference between the two crafts. Parquetry is described as ‘ a product of cutting veneers into uniform shapes’. Designs such as Louis cubes and chess board squares come into this category. These patterns feature in the book’s tutorials.One of the highlights is the photo gallery in the last chapter. This is enough to inspire anyone to build one of the several projects that are featured. The plans and template are in the back of the book. The screen project is particularly eye catching.

This is a beautifully produced book. Apps and Metcalfe are both extraordinary craftsmen with an obvious passion for the history of their craft as well as the practical application. The Marquetry Course is dedicated to teaching but is also a really interesting read.

If you are interested in Parquetry, go to Peter Young’s Louis cube project.

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