Inlay

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Bronze inlaid with silver: ceremonial flask, Eastern Zhou dynasty, China, from the Warring States period, 3rd century BCE (Freer Gallery of Art)

Inlay is a decorative technique of inserting pieces of coloured materials into depressions in a base object to form patterns or pictures. Inlays commonly use wood veneer, but other materials like shells and niello may also be used.

Inlay differs from marquetry, a similar technique, in that marquetry is applied over an entire surface of an object, whereas inlay consists of small pieces inserted into cut spaces in the base material.

Inlay is commonly used in production of decorative furniture, where pieces of coloured wood or metal are inserted into the veneer. Lutherie inlays are frequently used as decoration and marking on musical instruments, particularly the smaller strings.

Studiolo di Gubbio, due to Francesco di Giorgio and made for Federico da Montefeltro (Metropolitan Museum di New York)

The most famous example of furniture inlay in Europe may be the late 15th century Studiolo [1] made for Federico da Montefeltro in his Ducal Palace at Urbino, in which trompe-l'oeil shelving seems to carry books, papers, curios and mathematical instruments, in eye-deceiving perspective. A similar private study [2] made at Gubbio is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

[edit] See also

• marquetry
• mosaic
• niello
• damascening
• intarsia

[edit] External links

• Luigi Nebuloni's Personal Page Modern inlay painting
• Difference between Indian Classic Inlay and Italian Pietra Dura "Parchinkari"

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