Inlaid wood panel, specimen of parquetry for flooring, Marcellin, Paris, France, ca. 1840

Sample of parquetry for flooring

One of two panels made by Marcellin and purchased at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, for an individual price of £1 1 shilling 9 pence. The other panel is 27-1851.

These panels were purchased in addition to another group of Marcellin panels that were bought at the Paris Industrial Exhibition of 1844. The other panels are 28-1844, 29-1844, 30-1844, 31-1844, 32-1844.

This panel is illustrated in Francis Bedford and J.C. Robinson: The Treasury of Ornamental Art: Illustrations of Objects of Art and Vertu (London: Day & Son, 1858). n.p., Plate 4 (upper left, detail without border), from which an extract is quoted below:

"The four specimens, represented on a reduced scale in the accompanying plate, were executed by Marcellin of Paris, and were purchased at the Paris Industrial Exhibition of 1844. The same manufacturer was favourably noticed for his similar contributions to the Great Exhibition of 1851 of equally excellent design and workmanship.

It is scarcely necessary to explain, that the process here illustrated consists of a mosaic or marquetry of small pieces of differently tinted wood, arranged in juxtaposition in various geometrical designs. This kind of ornamental flooring has long been in general use in France, where carpets are of comparatively rare occurrence. Such floors are kept carefully waxed and polished, and, when partially covered with Oriental rugs or skins, have an excellent effect. The costliness and permanent nature of this mode of floor-decoration give it a certain importance, which, it may be incidentally remarked, is quite in keeping with the somewhat scanty, but architectonic, furniture of the higher class of Continental houses. The designs now illustrated are good and consistent, their rectilinear geometrical character being perfectly in accordance with the nature and mode of working wood. They are evidently based on mediaeval Italian examples of geometrical tarsia work, which, in turn, were often derived from the Arabic Saracenic interlaced patterns, which had become familiar to the Italian artists in other vehicles.

The antique mosaics offer an infinity of beautiful patterns suitable for reproduction in wood; indeed, there can be little doubt but that a similar method of flooring was in current use amongst the ancients, although no vestiges have come down to us.

The simple flat treatment of these designs is commendable, especially when the unfortunate facility for the simulation of geometrical forms in relief, which this process affords, and which is a very common defect of analogous mosaic patterns, is taken into account."

Quoted from J.C. Robinson in: Francis Bedford and J.C. Robinson: 'Specimens of Modern French Ornamental Wood Flooring ("Parquetage en Marqueterie")' in The Treasury of Ornamental Art: Illustrations of Objects of Art and Vertu (London: Day & Son, 1858). n.p., text accompanying Plate 4.

26-1851