marquetry

American  

[mahr-ki-tree] / ˈmɑr kɪ tri /

Also marqueterie

noun

plural

marquetries

1. inlaid work of variously colored woods or other materials, especially in furniture.

---

marquetry British  

/ ˈmɑːkɪtrɪ /

noun

1. a pattern of inlaid veneers of wood, brass, ivory, etc, fitted together to form a picture or design, used chiefly as ornamentation in furniture Compare parquetry

---

Etymology

Origin of marquetry

1555–65; < Middle French marqueterie inlaid work, equivalent to marquet ( er ) to speckle, spot, inlay (literally, make marks < Germanic; see mark ¹) + -erie -ery

Example Sentences

Marquetry, which developed in the mid-1500s as a sophisticated art form in Italy, uses pieces of wood veneers placed together by hand to form distinct designs.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2022

Marquetry, inlays of ivory, and various other materials have always been extensively used, and sometimes with excellent effect.

From Arts and Crafts Essays by Members of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society by Various

Marquetry was produced in Florence, Venice, Milan, and Genoa down to a still later date, but the fashion for ivory and ebony carried all before it.

From Intarsia and Marquetry by Jackson, F. Hamilton (Frederick Hamilton)

Venetian Marquetry is a very perfect imitation of this, not to be distinguished from the sawed-out patterns.

From St. Nicholas Vol. XIII, September, 1886, No. 11 An Illustrated Magazine for Young Folks by Various

There was a reading-desk of the 15th century; several Florentine coffers with fine carved panels; a beautiful cabinet decorated with Marquetry of the South German type, that hailed back to the 16th century.

From Polly and Her Friends Abroad by Roy, Lillian Elizabeth