Intarsia (from the Italian tarsia, inlay) is a technique in which a picture or ornament is assembled from pieces of veneer, thin sheets of wood in different colours and grains, and set into a base of less precious wood. The result is a picture without a single drop of paint. The shades come only from the natural tone and grain of walnut, beech, oak or fruitwoods. Related terms are inlay (setting in other materials as well, such as metal, bone or mother-of-pearl) and marquetry, an especially fine form of intarsia that combines several materials.
The maker first prepares a design, divides it into individual pieces and cuts each one from veneer of a suitable colour. The pieces are then fitted together like a jigsaw, glued and laid onto the base, which is finally sanded and finished. In the sixteenth century the technique spread thanks to machines for cutting thin veneers and to overseas trade, which brought exotic woods, ivory and mother-of-pearl into the workshops. Mastery shows in the detail. Can a craftsman create shadow, perspective or the fold of a fabric just by fitting pieces of wood together?
The high point of Renaissance intarsia is the studiolo (private study) of Duke Federico da Montefeltro from the palace in Gubbio, made between 1478 and 1482 and now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Its walls look like a furnished study with half-open cupboards, books and musical instruments, yet it is all inlaid wood. A Czech connection? Cheb relief intarsia of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, whose pieces found their way into rulers’ cabinets of curiosities. One of its masters was Adam Eck (1604 to 1664), and a cabinet from his workshop is held by the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague. And today? Natalie Perkof, from Art Part Club’s curated selection, created a large-format intarsia for the Moravian winery Obelisk.
With antique furniture, condition matters most. Veneer can lift, crack or fade, and an insensitive repair lowers the value. Look at how fine the joins are and whether the grain of the wood flows on smoothly, because that is where a good workshop shows. For valuable pieces, check the provenance and dating, as popular styles were often imitated in later periods. And with contemporary work, ask the same questions as with any artwork: who is the artist, where do they exhibit, and is the work signed?
— Anna Pulkertová, founder of Art Part Club
Related terms: Provenance · Dating and backdating a work · Verifying authenticity (blockchain and AI) · Fakes and forgeries
