Ken Stover
I first learned about marquetry about 11 years ago when I bought an antique tea table. The top was being repaired by Master Craftsman, Patrick Edwards here in San Diego. Upon visiting his atelier, he convinced me to enroll in his newly formed marquetry course, The American School of French Marquetry.
My interests in antiques seem to lie in the 18th century era, French and Italian styles are particularly attractive to me.
Equally exciting for me is that my wife, Ronelle, enjoys similar styles. She is a huge supporter of my marquetry interests and work, always looking to see what I have done that day. Soon after I finished Patrick's school, I recreated a pattern from a lectern displayed at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. The pattern became the top of two matching French Tea Tables pictured here.
The next photo is the pattern of a French table in the mid 1800s and the carving is our design to fit the marquetry. I am making a queen-sized headboard using this pattern. We are in the process of beginning the external carving shown.
I have started a project which promises to be a 5-year endeavor and my swan song that includes pewter, brass and tortoiseshell (faux). On the left is a photo of the original game table. The original table is in a museum in Germany. The photo on the right show some of the pieces before assembly.
The French Tea Tables were done by the piece by piece or separate packet method. The headboard was done by stacked painting in wood method which is reminiscent of the Boulle technique (tarsia a incastro). The backgammon table is strictly Boulle stacked method. All are done by the use of the chevalet de marqueterie, a special sawing apparatus that allows the marqueteur to cut numerous pieces at once the exact size.
There is a good set of photos of the chevalet on my website . <http://web.me.com/kenstover>
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Music Box
Feel free to contact me anytime <paradoxret@cox.net>, I'm not always right, but never in doubt.
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