Charles X Casket

Mahogany has always been considered a very noble wood. This impression was reinforced in the Empire when the wood was combined with gilded bronzes.

Marquetry is the term used to describe a picture made up of individual pieces of veneer. These can be figurative pictures or ornamental ones, such as the bandelwerk from the Baroque period.

Mother-of-pearl was used in antique furniture as marquetry or inlay work. We also find this nobly shimmering material on furniture handles and as key plates.

An acanthus is a leaf ornament used as a design element, which is modelled on a thistle plant native to the Mediterranean region.