Illustrated FURNITURE Glossary

Boulle work

The special inlay technique of André-Charles Boulle, using tortoiseshell and German silver, brass, or pewter.

A sheet of metal (usually brass) and a sheet of tortoiseshell were glued together, and the design was cut out of both pieces at the same time. Tle piece of brass which dropped out during the cutting could then be set into the tortoiseshell, making a decorative inlay; or the tortoiseshell could be used to fill in the brass sheet.

Boulle work is most often associated with the Louis XIV and Régence periods.


André-Charles Boulle (1642-1732)

Boulle and his four sons were French master cabinetmakers. Boulle designed rich, ornate, massive pieces, often in his own veneer technique of tortoiseshell and brass inlay.

In 1672, Boulle was appointed bead cabinetmaker to Louis XIV.

Besides his noted Boulle-work technique,he also designed the parquet floors, mirrored walls, and inlaid panels in the Versailles Palace. His designs were opulent and full of scrolls, flowers, and arabesques.

L'école Boulle is based in Paris and is a state-run school for ébénistes where students train for up to seven years, achieving some of the very finest work.


Photos and their arrangement © 2005 Chuck LaChiusa
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