Headboard

This project is a recreation of a table called the Table Des Muses. It was made by Jean-Henri Riesener and was to be delivered to Marie Antoinette in 1771. It was displayed in the Petit Trianon at Versailles; however, when I went to see it, it was gone, apparently displaced to another venue. I redrew it to the size of a queen-sized bed. Once the pattern was glued to the background, I then sawed it into 11 sections. This made cutting on the chevalet de marqueterie workable (67 cm throat). The veneers are sawn veneers from France that are 1 mm thick. I used the “Painting in Wood” method; which is gluing the pattern on the background; then define the location of specific areas that require that type of veneer and secure it there. This is done throughout the pattern. When there is overlap, another layer is built. The spaces between are filled with scrap creating a flat layer before the next layer is developed…...see “Marquetry Masterpieces” by Pierre Ramond (Vol. I, pp. 51-53). Once the pieces are all cut and laid out in their trays, the assembly begins. Shading with hot sand is done during the assembly process. The assembly is front side up and upon low tack contact paper, glued brown paper used to hold in place, turned over, mastic applied on the back side, turned back over (face up) and finally permanently glued (hyde glue) in a giant press onto 5/8 ply. The plywood was then counter veneered on the back. Out of the press, the face side was prepared, sanded, pumiced and french polished applying numerous layers. The final finish (satin) was with wax impregnated 0000 steel wool. The marquetry took some 1650 hours and is of over 5,000 pieces. The wood surround is European walnut carved by my good friend, Aaron Radelow.

Ken Stover