Mother Of Pearl,  And Carved Furniture

Here you are how we do it:

Traditionally, high quality solid, well dried walnut pieces are cut to a rough shape of desired object. Then, they are carved by a skilled artisan, creating complicated patterns. The next step is to cut and polish mother-of-pearl pieces in such a precise way that they fit perfectly into the carved spaces. This step is really time consuming, as the precision of this work will determine the final quality of the product. Small pieces are cut to form together various shapes - rings, stars, ornaments, etc. Several different kinds of mother of pearl are used, adding various colors to the sophisticated design....

Next, a highly skilled professional will finely polish the mother-of-pearl pieces, so they match each other seamlessly. Prepared in this way, the pieces are glued in place, creating a perfectly uniform, flat surface, flush with the walnut base that holds them. Sounds easy? Keep in mind that mother of pearl is very thin, very fragile and brittle, and not flexible, and that many parts of the furniture need to be slightly curved, which makes it necessary to profile the mother of pearl in a third dimension, on top of the complicated flat shapes!

The finished piece will then be carefully polished and cut to the exact shape required (the piece shown here will ultimately form the back portion of a President line armchair).

The main factors determining price: Quality, kind and size of wood used, and complexity of patterns. Volume and kind of mother of pearl used. Overall volume of curved surfaces particularly difficult and time-consuming to finish. Additional woodwork ornaments (tin inlays, arabesques, fancy shape of edges, etc.). Quality of finishing (lacquer, French polish, etc.).