About the Author

With over 20 years’ experience as a marqueteur, Jack Metcalfe has devoted himself to uncovering and mastering the techniques of marquetry as practiced by Chippendale’s skilled artisans in the eighteenth century. Using equipment, materials, dyes and techniques as close to the original as possible, Jack has built replicas of several of Chippendale’s most striking pieces of furniture, including the famous Diana & Minerva Commode. His careful research into the use of dyes, including ground-breaking sceintific analysis of the dyes used on Chippendale’s marquetry, has enabled him to reveal the often startling fresh colours that Chippendale’s furniture would have displayed when first made.

About the book

In this authorative and wide-ranging volume, published to concide with the 300th anniversary of Thomas Chippendale’s birth, Jack Metcalfe provides fascinating insights into all aspects of 18th century marquetry, gained from close first-hand examination of Chippendale’s origianl pieces. Using his ‘inside’s’ knowledge and skill as a practioner, he details his discoveries about how veneers were cut and dyed, how marquetry panels were constructed and applied to furniture, what challenges marqueturs faced and the resourceful ways they found of overcoming them.

With its lively, engaging narrative, and packed full of over 700 colour images, this book is essential reading for marqueteurs, cabinet makers, dyers, furniture historians and anyone interested in the work of arguably Britain’s finest furniture maker, Thomas Chippendale.

There are seperate chapters covering:

Materials and tools used in Chippendale’s time. Techniques of 18th century marquetry. Dyes and dyeing techniques, including the scientific analysis of dyes used on Chippendale’s furniture. Details step-by-step descriptions of the construction of three replica pieces by the author. A detailed illustrated gallery of all the known marquetry commissions made by Thomas Chippendale.

Jack frequently gives lectures on Thomas Chippendale’s life and work, and especially his marquetry furniture. Jack’s first book, The Marquetry Course, is available from selected internet booksellers.