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Collections > Wood Carving > Marquetry Panel

Marquetry Panel

Research for this exhibition has led to the re-dating of this panel as a rare surviving example of Italian Renaissance craftsmanship. The sophisticated use of architectural perspective draws the viewer into the world of the Renaissance liberal arts, with artist, sculptors, astronomers, musicians, and scholars at work.
The Italian Renaissance was a formative period in the evolution of European marquetry. The intarsia technique was developed inlaying veneers following complex paper designs. The invention of the fret saw in the mid 16th century enabled the craftsman to take intarsia to new heights of sophistication, giving greater accuracy and more curved lines than knife cutting allowed.
Screw holes on the reverse suggests that the panel was once attached to a piece of furniture or room panelling, possibly in a 'studiolo', Renaissance private study. Rare surviving examples are the Gubbio and Urbino studiolos of the late 15th century. This example is unusual in that it depicts the production of the liberal arts.
Size: Height: 55 cm; Width: 35.5 cm.

Place: Italy

Object Type: panel

Actual Date: c. 1520

Century: 16th century

Materials: Pewter, Wood, Pine, Poplar

Museum Accession Number: Founders/W.86