Dutch Inlaid Aventurine Decoration: Study, Analysis, and Conservation

A small group of seventeenth-century furniture comprised of four cabinets and one table distinguishes itself from contemporary furniture decorated with lacquer imitation techniques. Sumptuous patterns in European aventurine lacquer are inlaid into a background of ebony, thus creating a rich contrast. Inspired by the technique of Japanese nashi-ji lacquer, European motives are paired with the exotic effect of shimmering metal particles. Tying into previous research, one of the cabinets which was so far only known from photographs in early twentieth-century literature, was studied in-depth. A fragment from the table's decoration could also be included into the technical study. The materials and techniques employed for the creation of these inlaid aventurine lacquer pieces were studied and compared to the hitherto studied three cabinets. The most recent treatment involving consolidating delaminated areas and replacing losses in the aventurine lacquer is briefly outlined.