Marquetry

The history and technique of marquetry, a mosaic-like art of fitting together thin wood veneer pieces to form intricate ``pictures'' in furniture or on decorative surfaces, is meticulously examined as Ramond, teacher at Paris's famed craft school, l'Ecole Boulle, traces the history of the centuries-old tradition from Asia Minor to Italy, France and England, and explains the complex mechanics involved in creating what is sometimes called ``painting in wood.'' Marqueters, cabinetmakers, restorers and art historians will be fascinated by drawings and photographs that detail working methods, tools and machines employed in construction, virtually reviving a craft that had its distant heyday in the 18th century. Also surveyed are period styles as represented by marquetry ``greats'' and lesser-knowns. Outside of arcane manuals that long ago provided instruction to craftspeople, little has been published in book form on the subject, so Ramond's volume may stand alone as an introduction to a magnificent but comparatively obscure woodworking specialty. (Oct.)