Surviving The Test Of Time

The last two posts have focused on the new Colombo jig saws in use at the school. I can only imagine how smooth the operation of these expensive and specialized saws is. I can also imagine the younger students who might prefer the new system to the old ways.

However, I would like to point out an important difference between the most expensive modern jig saw and the traditional chevalet de marqueterie, as it has existed, according to Herbert Cescinsky, since 1680.

The French have the distinction of being the only country in the history of marquetry who use a horizontal blade to cut material. As far as I can determine, every other country uses a vertical blade alignment. Whether you are using a hand held fret saw, or a foot powered frame saw or a jig saw, the blade moves up and down. The chevalet is the only tool which has been designed to operate with a blade in the back and forth direction.

This may seem like a small detail, but the differences are dramatic.

When the blade moves up and down, it is easy for small elements to fall down into the throat of the machine. The sawdust remains on the surface which hides the design. The worker must use his hands to hold down the work, or it will bounce up and down. It is nearly impossible to see exactly along the length of the blade, and the worker needs to adjust his sight to cut while viewing from an angle.

The chevalet is unique in holding the saw frame horizontal and cutting with a horizontal blade. The dust falls away naturally, the blade is directly in front of the eyes of the worker. The saw, which is controlled by hand, is very sensitive to pressure and speed, and can be manipulated very easily. The small elements which are cut out are held in the packet, since the packet is vertical, and it is possible to cut the smallest pieces imaginable. The feet operate the clamps, which frees up the left hand to control the material.

It is not known exactly when the chevalet was created, but I note that Herbert Cescinsky, in his 1931 classic, "The Gentle Art of Faking Furniture," states: "The marqueterie-cutter's saw, in its guides, with the 'chops,' which open and close by foot pressure, to hold the veneers while being cut, and his seat at the end (the 'donkey,) as it is called), have hardly varied at all in two hundred and fifty years." 1969 edition, page 89.

The pictures illustrate one of the antique chevalets at the school, which I probably used. Also shown is the newest chevalet, which is adjustable in height and can be converted from left to right handed use. Note the fancy carved face.

There is no other tool quite like it!

Out With The Old

The last post included photos of the new atelier de marqueterie at ecole Boulle, provided by my internet friend, Filip. I received a comment on that post which asked about the new marquetry saws. I thought the best response would be to show more photos of the saws, provided by Filip, and information about the company which manufactures them.

The mark, Colombo, has earned a respected reputation during many generations of marquetry artists. The new professor of marquetry, Gabriel Fuchs, has installed 4 Colombo saws in the new building. One has a throat depth of 115cm, and the others have an 85cm throat. The company makes smaller saws, including one with 55cm clearance. These are highly developed tools with specialized features designed to make marquetry cutting easy and precise. The largest tool runs about 4500 euros, and is manufactured in France.

I include three website links for you to explore:

http://www.ftfi.fr/bois/articles/machines/stationnaires/scie-a-chantourner-lourde.htm

http://www.cofil.fr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=76&Itemid=66

http://www.directindustry.fr/prod/colombo-filippetti/scies-a-decouper-5613-38717.html

I am not sure, but I imagine that the single overhead saw must still be used. There were three cast iron jig saws and one overhead saw. The overhead saw has no throat depth, since the upper structure is suspended from the ceiling. I include a photo of the workshop as it was when Pierre was there. You can see all the chevalets lined up along the window, with the overhead saws and jig saws in the back.

So, it seems that Gabriel has removed the three jig saws, and perhaps the overhead saw, for all I know. He has installed the Colombo saws, and the entire workshop is larger and more open.

Life goes on, and old men guard their memories, as they sip their coffee and live in the past.

Porte Ouvert 2011

One of the great consequences of the internet age is the ability to have strangers around the world share common interests. I know the movie industry has discovered this. I expect the movie about facebook to win an oscar. Who would have thought, just a decade ago, that you could tweet or unfriend someone?

I have only blogged (again, a modern concept!) for a few months, but I am amazed at the international response I have received. I imagine my words as just a few data drops in the immense ocean of internet content, but people have found me, just like a message in a bottle is picked up on the other side of the world by a stranger. It boggles the mind.

One of these kind souls is Filip Tanghe, and I believe he lives in Brussels. He also attended a Stage at ecole Boulle and returns each year, when he can, to tour the open house. This year he offered to take some photos for me, since I am not able to make the trip. Looking at the photos I am filled with warm memories of my years in school in Paris, nearly 2 decades ago.

I knew that when Gabriel Fuchs replaced Pierre Ramond there would be changes. I heard that Mr. Fuchs wanted to "modernize" the atelier and invite more contemporary work from his students. Pierre was always passionate about the past, and admired the great works from the 18th century, as well as supporting newer ideas.

I had no idea that the school would tear down the entire wing of the building and start over!

The school is built in a large "U" shape, with a courtyard in the center. The original wing still stands in place, with the names of great ebenistes posted in tiles on the outside wall. The front wing is now draped in construction scaffolding and I assume will also be modernized. The wing which housed the marquetry workshops on the 6th floor, as well as the finishing workshops and other classes, has been replaced by a modern glass structure. All the classrooms are new.

In addition, the old cast iron jig saws have been replaced by modern jigsaws. Filip reports that there are 5 of them, as well as two new chevalets. One of the new chevalets is designed to work either left or right handed, as well as being adjustable in height. These new chevalets also have carved masks on the front block, perhaps since I note the carving workshop is in the next room to the marquetry atelier.

He also sent me a photo of Pierre, who is now 75 years old. I note he is older and grayer than I remember, but there is one feature that hasn't changed in 20 years. His passionate smile still fills the workshop.

Porte Ouvert

Since I was invited by a professor to attend a stage at ecole Boulle, I had no idea how difficult it was to visit the school. Once I was provided with my student identification and pin, I realized how special it was to be accepted into that institution.








Assuming you were visiting Paris as a tourist and wanted to see the school, this is probably what would happen: you would enter the front door and meet a security guard sitting behind a window. He would ask you what your purpose was and, if you had not made prior arraignments to visit, send

you away. Assuming you got past the entry, you would find yourself in a lobby without any information on where to go; just the normal crowd of students passing on their way to class.

The actual administration is located on the second floor, and, since the school is 6 floors high, you would need to ask them where the workshop is that you wanted to visit. There are many different workshops in the school. Classes in upholstery, chair making, cabinet making, carving, engraving, metal working, industrial design, marquetry, finishing, sculpting, and so on. Everywhere you go there is amazing talent. The teachers are all outstanding in their profession, and the students have such a high level of ability that it is taken for granted that anything is possible.

Once a year, however, the school opens its doors, and makes it possible for the public to see the work. This happens at the end of January, in a few weeks. I can imagine that this week the entire school is cleaning up its floors, ceilings, lamps, windows and setting up dioramas in each workshop to show off their projects. It is a busy time for all.

Busloads of people arrive, from all over Europe. Italians, Germans, English, French and many other countries arrive to tour the school during this special time. As an English speaker, it became my duty to explain the marquetry workshop to these visitors who did not speak French. It was a treat I will always cherish.

It also gave me a chance to tour the entire school during this time. Normally, I had very little chance to see all the other workshops, since I was busy doing my student work. But during "open door" I could wander all over the school and discover for myself what was going on. Behind every door was a new experience and a chance to see some wonderful work.

If you have the chance right now, go to Paris, take the metro to Place Nation and walk two blocks to ecole Boulle. It is worth the trip.

The Douville Family Veneer Saw

During my first year at school, I was joined by two other marquetry workers who, like myself, were invited by Pierre to study for a "stage" of work. One of these workers was Danish and the other was Spanish. It was an interesting period for the three of us, starting with the language issues. Fortunately, the Danish spoke English and understood enough French to explain to me what was said. Unfortunately, the Spanish spoke French, but with such a strange accent that I was more confused than ever.





One day Pierre announced to the three of us that we were invited to visit a workshop just outside Paris which had been in business since around 1800. I had no idea why this was such a special opportunity, except that it was a historic atelier. From the comments of the other students I began to realize this was the chance of a lifetime, and something which not everyone was given the chance to experience.

The workshop was that of the Douville family, who were responsible for creating the first mechanical saw for veneer around 1805. The saw was still in place, and the two elderly brothers who lived there were the 5th generation of the family. They were still in business, sawing veneer, and rarely opened their doors for visitors.

Before we went, Pierre related a story to us which helped us to appreciate what to expect. He said that there was a museum conservator from a major American museum who had visited the workshop previously. During the visit this curator asked if he could use the restroom. "Is it a petite affair or a grand affair?" inquired one of the Douville brothers. "A petite affair," replied the conservator, properly dressed in a nice suit. "There's the wall," was the answer.

When we arrived it looked like any other home on the street, surrounded by the famous wall. We were greeted by two men, both in their 80's and unmarried. They excitedly showed us the car which had sat in the garage since the 1920's and was in perfect condition. We went to lunch and they drank several bottles of wine. It was a very interesting conversation, which became more interesting after lunch.

My first impression of the workshop, which was in a building in the back yard, was that it was just a large building full of wood and tools. The wood frame saw stood in the center of the room and around the walls were cabinets with piles of wood, veneer and tools scattered everywhere. The most amazing thing was that the entire room was full of a dark, heavy sawdust that was at least 3 feet deep over every square inch, except the narrow paths where people walked. The sawdust was mahogany, rosewood, tulip, kingwood, and I can only imagine what other woods, and it actually covered the drawers up to the top surface of the cabinets. The walkways, or paths if you can call them that, were narrow clear trails which were only about a foot wide.

"Have you ever lost anything?" I asked, incredulously. "Only once," one replied, "Remember when dad thought he had lost that diamond ring?" The other answered immediately, "But then he found it years later." They both agreed that nothing was ever lost in the mess, it was just not readily available at that moment. Surely it will turn up later...

I was not allowed to take any photographs during this field trip, which is unfortunate. Within the next 5 years the shop would be sold and closed. Patrick George purchased most of the veneer and the original saw was taken apart and moved to his veneer store in Bagnolet. Patrick George operates two veneer saws, which were made later in the 19th century. I include a photo of one of these tools with this post. The other photo is a tool collector in the South of France who owns a similar saw.

I had originally posted a story about this special type of veneer saw on July 26, 2010. To my knowledge, there is a German shop and a shop in Belgium, in addition to Patrick George and the person in the South of France, which is the total list of these saws currently operating in the world.

I now realize how important is was to visit the original tool and talk with the original family. At no time did I ask to use the bathroom.

Sand Shading

There are many individual steps to create a marquetry panel, and I love all of them except one. From the inspiration to the design, the selection of materials, putting the packets together and cutting out the elements, shading each piece in hot sand and gluing the picture together on an assembly board, making the mastic and gluing the final picture in place, and...finally...removing the kraft paper to discover your finished work of art. I look forward eagerly to each step of the process, except shading in sand.

This is kind of weird, since the first "Is Good!" compliment I got from Pierre was when I shaded the ribbon on my third etude. Up to that point, which was two months of school, I had only heard him say "Is Bad." So I assumed I had done something right.





To be blunt, shading elements in sand is boring and a little dangerous, if you forget for a moment what you are doing. The sand is very hot (around 600 degrees at the bottom) and the pieces are very small. There is a strong temptation to reach in and grab a piece if it disappears. Resist that temptation. In fact, do not place any part of your hand over the pan. Use very large tweezers and keep your body parts away from the pan and the sand.

In the winter there is some relief that the heat is comforting, but in the summer...

If, for example, your project has 1500 elements and you made 3 copies then you have about 4500 pieces of wood to place carefully in the sand at exactly the proper depth and angle. Each piece sits in the sand for a few seconds. That means you will need to sit in place working without stop for 22,500 seconds, which is over 6 hours.

When I first tried to burn wood in sand, I just went to the local beach and brought home some sand and heated it in a pan. Not only did I destroy the pan but the beach sand created the most interesting smells as some of the "foreign matter" burned up. I then tried Home Depot play sand, but the grains were different sizes and I could not get an even burn. Then I tried sifting sand but couldn't find the proper screen to work.

So, during my first visit to Paris, I purchased a kilo of sand from the supplier to the school. As I went through customs I was stopped and asked to open my bags. The officer asked me what was in one bag, and I replied: "Sand." He just stared at me and repeated, "Sand?" like I was an idiot. I started to explain the technique of marquetry and what the sand was used for, but he simply waved me through.

This happened again at the airport in Portland, Oregon. I was vacationing with my wife at Cannon Beach and discovered the high winds created wonderful spots behind rocks which were full of the finest sand, very even in size. I picked up several pounds and put them in my bags. At the airport I watched from a distance as my checked bags were opened by TSA and the officers gathered around to sift through my "special" sand. They shrugged and I could tell by their body language that they also thought I was an idiot.

Isn't it amazing how we choose to spend our time?

Tradition Preservation

One can only imagine what it must have been like standing in the center of Andre-Charles Boulle's workshop during the peak of his career. The piles of exotic materials, like imported hardwoods from all corners of the world's forests, the tortoise shell, ivory, brass and copper sheets, gilt mounts, complex hardware, all formed a backdrop for the magnificent projects which were being constructed with great precision by dozens of talented workmen. From time to time the king or his representative would visit and verify that all the work was done to the highest level possible anywhere in the known world
.

All that was destroyed by a fire in the workshop around 1720, and the loss was beyond measure, both to the King and France, and to the history of furniture making. Boulle never recovered and died a decade later in debt. The fashion for "Boulle" decoration declined and was replaced by the more colorful marquetry decoration of the mid 18th century made possible by the French invention of the picking machine and the development of the chevalet.

By the way, I must admit that I like the work of Pierre Gole better than that of Andre-Charles Boulle, but that is another post.

The reason I mention this brief history of the trade is to discuss how tradition is kept alive through the centuries. During the 19th century the use of marquetry surface decoration almost disappeared. Many of the shops closed or changed their work to adapt to the clean, "modern" lines of the newest fashion. What tradition persisted in the old ways was transmitted by individual workers to their assistants. Even the traditional Guilds were abolished by the Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution threatened to eliminate much of the historic knowledge of the past masters.

Around the time of Napoleon III it was obvious that a school needed to be created to reestablish the methods of furniture making which were made famous in the 18th century. It took about 20 years, but at the end of the 1880's a new school was built and opened its doors to the first class of 60 students. That was ecole Boulle, and it stands today as one of the most important trade schools in Europe. Its mission is to preserve the historic trades of the past.

During the 20 years that this foundation of learning was being established there was a renaissance in the Faubourg St. Antoine, in Paris, where workshops again returned to making highly decorative marquetry. Much of this marquetry was applied to local creations, but some of it was made for export, and one of the more well known New York shops, Herter Brothers, purchased their marquetry at this time for their own use. I was restoring a famous Herter Brothers table before I attended ecole Boulle, and took pictures of this table with me when I entered Pierre's class for the first time. He pointed to page 60 of his book and stated that the marquetry on this New York table was made in the Guilmet workshop of Paris around 1880. More research needs to be done on this particular transmission of material from Europe to America during the late 19th century.

I have direct evidence of this trade. Years ago, at the end of a lecture I had presented on Decorative Arts, I was approached by an elderly woman, Jonna Aase. She asked me if I would be interested in some marquetry she had inherited. I asked "What kind of furniture is it?" She replied, "It's not on a piece of furniture. It is just marquetry."

When I visited her home, she produced several pieces of marquetry which had never been used. After I purchased them, she provided me with a note: "These are imported inlay woodwork brought to Odense Denmark by a Danish importer of veneer woods. Made in Paris about 1874. This date established by a newspaper backing on the reverse of the inlays dated in March of 1874 in the French language. Purchased in Odense by Chris Anderson and brought to America in October 1914." These panels were made with sawn veneers, highly tinted and faced with paper, as is the normal method. They even have prices!

I used these examples in my lectures and classes for years. Since I had several examples, I took many of them back to Paris and presented them to Pierre Ramond and Michel Jamet and Patrick George and other mentors who had helped me in my studies. I felt that returning these small samples of French work from a century ago would somehow contribute to the continuation of the grand tradition of design and culture.