Furniture Tour

Hey, art lovers. There's still one more tour we haven't seen from my wonderful day at the Met during my week in New York. And get ready, it's a nerdy one.

Royal furniture and stately rooms! I seriously can't get enough of this stuff.

The first stop was the Studiolo from the Ducal Palace in Gubbio, designed by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, though I think the craftsmen should get some credit. The entire room is wooden inlay, or intarsia, and uses the grains of wood to make the pictures look three dimensional. 

Notice the detail to use a different grain to cast a shadow.

Our curator shone light on one edge to show a better example of the 3D effect. This would be extraordinary if created now in the age of power tools.

Next came embroidery from Louis XIV. These are not tapestries, mind you. This was all done by hand, not loom.

Can you see the silver thread?

Another example of elaborate inlay using ivory, tortoiseshell and ebony.

Rococo chandelier.

Scallop shell armchairs with original tapestry from the mid-18th century. Take the oldest buildings in our country, and this chair is even older.

Lacquered desk of Louis XV, all part of a fascinating process of tapping trees in Southeast Asia for the effect.

Marie Antoinette's chair.

Can you see her insignia? It's in the center under the cabinet top.

A raised desk with compartments and a book slant for more comfortable reading. Kind of robotic for the neoclassic period.

By 1710 porcelain was made in France during the reign of Louis XV by the famed company Sevres. Porcelain was of particular interest with royal furniture because it retains its color over age. This furniture was intended for the women of the court.

The carvings on the side panels are Wedgwood.

I snapped these as I walked through Medieval art to catch up with the next tour.

Now I'm appreciating my Aunt Ettorina's wedding china she passed on to me. It has patiently waited in my father's garage for at least five years, and now it will be used everyday in my new little kitchen.

Stay tuned for the excitement! I don't think it's Sevres, but it's antique as far as I'm concerned.