Straw marquetry panel, contemporary work

Marianne Leal, signed.

Straw marquetry panel representing a sphere on a black background.

Contemporary French craftsmanship.

Dimensions: H 60 x W 60 x D 5 cm

Reference: LS5435

Straw marquetry is an art very similar to wood marquetry, in which straw replaces wood veneer. It is a technique from the Far East that was imported to Europe (England, France) in the 17th century. Having become a tradition in the 17th and 18th centuries, it fell into oblivion for a few decades before being brought back into the spotlight in the 1920s by the decorators Jean-Michel Frank and André Groult. After the war, it was Jean Royère who used this particular technique a lot.

On the technical side, the straw marquetry does not require any machine: everything is done by hand. It requires very simple tools: a bone folder to crush and shine the straw, a scalpel to cut it, brush and glue. It is a craft that requires meticulousness and patience. For the most elaborate patterns, we progress at a rate of 2 cm2 per day!

It is estimated that today there are about twenty craftsmen working in straw marquetry in France.