Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/165

 Fr. 23, 1873. THE BUILDING NEWS. 149 once preserved with some preparation), that the best stone should haye some process applied thereto, to find which stone-preserving preparation is most effectual mechanically and chemically. 5. Further, if none of the present methods are good, then to find one that shall effec- tually have the desired result. Some say all subjects are worn threadbare, but surely in the foregoing suggestions there is new and good work for many earnest thinkers and workers, who, when only mid- way in their work, will, I am afraid, be tempted to exclaim— Scientia longa, vita breve. B. F. a DECORATIVE PROCESSES. STAINING, GRAINING, AND INLAYING OF WOODS AND MARBLES. By an EXPERIENCED WORKMAN. (Continued from page 129.) pe inlaying of woods in geometric and other patterns, and in various colours, is an art of very ancient practice and of much repute. Marquetry is a kind of mosaic, exe- cuted in hard and curiously grained or artifi- cially stained woods, inlaid and arranged in an infinite variety of patterns, of which the extremities are sometimes bordered by lines of ebony, ivory, copper, brass, &c.; or the incised pattern is filled in with ornaments of metal, produced by stamping thin sheets with punches, and cutting them to their proper shapes and sizes. Again, we have the Italian Torsia Torsiatura: a mosaic woodwork, much practised in Italy in the fifteenth century, representing architectural scenes, landscapes, fruit, and flowers, by inlaying pieces of wood of various colours and shades into panels of walnut-wood. It was first done in black and white only ; but afterwards other naturally coloured woods were adopted, and when they failed in giving the tints wanted they were stained the required colour. Thus, box-wood was stained yellow with saffron, while various tints of brown were produced by singeing white woods with hot irons. This kind of work was frequently employed in decorating the choirs of churches, backs of chairs and Seats, wainscoting, and the panels of doors. Another kind of inlaying is called Pietra Dura work, and is executed in coloured stones, representing fruits, birds, &c., in re- lief, and generally used for the decoration of coffers, or the panels of cabinets, chimney- pieces, &c. The finest specimen of pietra dura was made for the Grand Duke of Tuscany. This is a table about 4ft. in diameter, which occupied the labour of four men for three years. Upon it is a garland of jasmine and grapes, so beautifully shaded that they look like nature. A larger table in Egyptian porphyry, with flowers and antique instruments in mosaic work, cost the Grand Duke, at his own manufactory, 100,000f. Pietre Commesse is a species of inlaying in precious stones, adapted for caskets, cabinets, &e. It was peculiar to Florence, where it was first introduced in the com- mencement of the seventeenth century. The stones are cut into thin veneers, and the various pieces are sawn into shape by means of a fine wire and bow, aided by emery powder, and afterwards more accurately fitted at the lapidary’s wheel. The materials are exclusively natural stones—as agates, jaspers, lapis-lazuli, &c., &e.—the colours of which are made to serve the purpose of de- lineating birds, flowers, fruits, leaves, &c. It was sometimes employed to decorate the walls of sumptuous edifices. Those of the Chapel of the Medici, attached to S. Lorenzo, are of this precious material. A royal manufactory of this work is still kept up in Florence; the finest productions of which are chiefly devoted to the comple- tion of the decorations of this chapel, and to serve as presents to royal or distinguished persons. We have now buttonotice another kind of inlaying, called Buhl work, after the inventor, André Charles Buhl (or Boule), and which was extensively patronised by Louis XIV. It consists of piercing and in- laying metal with tortoiseshell or enamel, or with metals of another colour, producing a most sumptuous effect on the surface of fur- niture, and was applied to tables, desks, workboxes, and the ornamental articles of the toilette, &c., its rich and sumptuous effect exactly suiting the magnificence of taste in- dulged in by the Court of Versailles. Some- times the tortoiseshell formed the ground and the metal the enamel. This costly work continued in vogue in France until the Re- volution, Its inventor died in 1732, at the age of 90, He held the official situation of Tapissier en Litre du Roi, and after his death his manufactory was carried on for many years by his family. It will be evident from the descriptions of the various methods of inlaying given above that, however it is done, it is a subject requiring in its practice a very large amount of artistic taste and skill, both in the design and execution, and although as regards the manipulation and cutting and shaping of both metal, wood, and marble, many and great improvements have been made in latter days, more especially in parqueterie for flooring and veneer-cutting, which has reduced the cost very materially, still, these works, if specially designed, and executed by hand, must of necessity be costly and rare. Our principal object in describing them here is, first to show the kind of work to be done, and then to describe how the same may be imitated so as to produce works of art beautiful in themselves, and at a moderate cost. In pursuance of this object, we pur- pose, first, to describe the methods of imitat- ing inlayed woods, both on painted grounds and by staining on white pine, pitch pine, and other white woods ; also, imitation inlay- ing of marbles, metals, and ivory. The imita- tion of inlayed woods on painted grounds has been practised by first-class grainers ever since graining became one of the useful arts. Many improvements have, of course, been made in both the manner and method of its execution, Of these manipulative processes we shall only describe here those which from practical experience we have found to be the simplest and the best. Our first and indis- pensable requisite is a good and appropriate design—such a design as would be suitable for executing in the real wood, for it will be evident that, although we have a very wide range of ornamental forms which are suitable for this purpose, yet there are many designs which are totally unsuitable, and which would not be chosen for a work executed in the real woods or marbles. Flat ornament—i.e., with- out relief or shading—is the best in every sense for the purpose, although, of course, ornament shaded so as to appear in relief, is admirable for certain decorations, and some notable works have been executed in this style, as imitations of natural objects, birds, fruits, flowers, leaves, musical instruments, masks, &e., but these may all be considered exceptional works (necessarily of a high class), requiring artistic skill of a high order, and, although coming within the range or province of the decorator’s art, only to be used for special purposes. Strap ornament, or inter- laced lines of various breadths, arranged in geometrical forms, are well suited for inlay- ing. A series of lines of different coloured woods running under and over each other, and forming a general design, as a whole, afford a good opportunity for the display of knowledge and skill in the design and har- mony in the disposal of the colours, for itshould always be borne in mind that the most correctly executed work may be utterly spoiled by a bad design and a want of taste and harmony in the arrangement of the colours. Tere we may observe, in reference to the art of design, that we may find a great number of workmen who are able to execute works in a mere mechanical way, and yet very correctly, who at the same time have no ideaor power to create a good design ; others, again, have a talent for putting scraps of ornament together, and so forming what they are pleased to call an original design ; others, again, go on year after year, arranging and modifying one or two sets of designs, making them answer by adaptation for all sorts of purposes, thus acquiring a reputation ag decorators, founded upon an exceedingly small capital of originality in design. It is certainly surprising, when we consider the great facilities afforded nowadays to young men for improvement in ornamental design, how very few really original designs are produced; whether this arises from some imperfection or want in the system of instruc- tion which obtains in our schools of design, or whether originality is a special gift or talent, only possessed by the few, is a ques- tion we will not enter upon here at present, but that we state a fact is fully evidenced in all branches of ornamental design. There is a dearth of originality pervading the whole field of English designs for house decoration, paper-hangings, calico-printing, carpets, and metal work. We need only say further, in proof of our premises, that, with very rare exceptions, the leading designers in English workshops in the aboye branches are foreigners. This fact needs no comment. We purpose returning to this subject some of these days with some hope of suggesting a remedy. Ornament for inlaying should be specially designed for the article it is intended to de- corate. A design which would be suitable for a cabinet would not be appropriate for a door- panel or the large panels of a wardrobe. The style of ornament should always be a matter of consideration. The incongruous conglomeration of ornaments we too often see in these ornamental days is at times perfectly ridiculous. The design should be in accordance with the style of the article or thing to be decorated. It is clearly a bungle, and shows a want of taste and knowledge, to put a Gothic ornament on to a Classic structure, and vice versa, and yet how often this is done even by those who ought to know better. The choice of woods for inlaying will be in a great measure governed by the nature of the design, and the special purpose it is used for. Colour is quite as essential to the success of the work as design, for however good the de- sign may be, if the colouring is not harmo- nious, the finished effect will be unpleasant to the eyes and vulgar. By ajudicious use of the various coloured woods or marbles, rich- ness, and even splendour of effect, may be produced along with quietness and repose : the two are not by any means incompatible. With regard to the use of wood inlays, we have also this advantage—that if we want a particular colour, and we have it not as a natural colour of wood, we may with pro- priety stain any light wood of the exact tint wemayrequire. We have the highestartistic authority for this practice, and its advan- tages are s9 many, and so evident, that we need no apology for its use. Having decided upon the design and colours to be used (which, by-the-way, should always be done before the work is commenced), we should see that the groundwork is properly prepared. Smoothness is an indispensable requisite to the success of all good work. The ground should also bé prepared of such a colour as will serve for the representation of the lightest wood contained in. the +} design. In some cases the ground may “be white, but we prefer that it should slightly coloured of a cream tint. In other cases the ground itself may be a grained wood, such as maple, light oak, or sycamore On these grounds the inlay must of necessity be imitations of woods of a much darkex shade and grain than the ground, ia ore that the grain of the underwood shal? nx be perceived through the grain of +e inlay. Walnut-wood upon oak or magie does this effectually, and, as a simply tulay, 1s) very