Inlay involves embedding decorative materials in an object, usually to form a pattern, picture or other design. First grooves and incisions are made in the base object, and then the colored pieces are inserted into the depressions. Usually wood veneer – thin slices of wood – is used for the patterns, but other items like shells and niello – a black lustrous alloy of various metals – are also regularly used.
The inlay process dates to the time when ancient Egyptians embedded precious stones, glazed tiles, ivory and gold in things like chests, thrones and the like. It was considered a delicate and painstaking craft until the invention of the jigsaw blade in the late 1500s, at which point the cutting necessary for inlay became a lot easier and faster. Inlay became a mass-market technique which was often featured in furniture and other household decoration.
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Some variations on the technique of inlay include marquetry, where veneered wood is applied to the object’s entire surface, and Lutherie inlays, which are used on musical instruments like violins and violas for decoration and ornamentation. The Studiolo of Ducal Palace (pictured) makes use of a trompe l’oeil inlay effect to create the illusion of books and mathematical instruments on the shelves – an example of inlay’s artistic potential.
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